THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS.

There are numerous new scores being released of late in fact it seems that no sooner have you purchased the latest soundtrack by a composer that another is being advertised or promoted. Alexandre Desplat is a composer who I followed for a number of years watching his gradual but inevitable rise to the top of his profession. One of the composer’s recent assignments is THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS, this is a charming and most eloquent soundtrack, the composer making effective use of the string section as always and including some of the most haunting and mesmerising piano solos that I have had the good fortune to hear for a long while. This is a score that literally oozes emotion and is overflowing with poignant and affecting nuances and themes which seem to build from a mere hint of a theme into a gloriously subtle but at the same time substantial and melodious work. Desplat alongside Georges Delerue and John Barry I think is a Master at creating intricate and delicate themes which enhance perfectly the movie they are intended to support but also stand alone as just music that can be enjoyed and savoured away from any images. The sound achieved within THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS is beguiling and beautiful, wonderfully luxurious with a lilting but powerful sound that the composer seems to be able to conjure up with ease. This is an intimate and touching work and one that I am sure will be returned to many times after the initial listen. Desplat’s musical fingerprint is unmistakable it is the light and emotive sound we here behind a love scene or the brooding and malevolent darkness that we can pick out accompanying a sequence that is harrowing or apprehensive. It is also the glimpse of a theme that builds and rises to become something that is special and stunning infusing hope into a situation that one at first thought was hopeless or fearful. PATH OF LIGHT track number 12 on the CD is minimal with piano solo taking the lead but the simplicity of this performance makes the composition just superbly affecting, as the track progress’s the piano is underlined by subtle strings which although are feint still bring greater depth and give the piece more substance adding a warmth and also giving the cue a higher level of impact. The same can be said for THE RETURN track number 13, piano again takes centre stage and also strings are brought into the equation but this time the strings are slightly darker and have to them a hint of the sinister. With a foreboding sound being created as the track reaches its conclusion. I recommend this soundtrack with no reservations, a must have item.