Jonny Greenwood: There Will Be Blood (Original Soundtrack)

Bob at Rock and Roll Nonsense came up to me after seeing this movie, and he told me the music blew him away. Then he told me it was a classical score composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. I went to the Pratt Library the very next day and checked it out, fully expecting to hear something similar to the 28 Days Later soundtrack. I didn't get what I expected, but what I got was pretty good.

Music:
I haven't seen the movie, but the music stands well on its own. At first, I was reminded of Bernard Herrmann's scores for some of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, but the more I listened, the more I thought of the Kronos Quartet. Greenwood's compositions continuously flow between dark romanticism and jarring dissonance, and he demonstrates a surprising ability to write good classical music. Unfortunately, the performances are a bit lackluster. Had this been performed by an ensemble like the Kronos Quartet, the fire in the music would have burned much brighter.

Packaging: n/a (Altered by EPFL)
The staff at the EPFL was kind enough to include the front cover and the majority of the credits, but if there was anything else in the package, it's been lost. Based on what is here, the liner notes look to be fairly typical for a soundtrack.

Listen if you like: Arvo Pärt, Kronos Quartet, Godspeed You! Black Emperor

If it were food, it'd be: A good Bordeaux that accompanies a delicious meal.