Continuing with our catch-up of weekly recommended scores, here’s a round-up of scores that caught my attention over the week ending, 22nd March 2024.
Sound of Freedom (2023) – Javier Navarrete (Sony Classical)
Sound of Freedom (dir. Alejandro Monteverde) is a story of how a former homeland security agent, who quits his job, travels into the jungles of Colombia in an effort to save children from sex slavery. Written by Spanish composer Javier Navarrete, the music for Sound of Freedom is a sombre orchestral score that utilises additional elements such as guitar (acoustic and electric) and a children’s choir, and powerful string solos to establish a musical environment that is complimentary to the film’s challenging topic. The score does veer into a more dissonant, atmospheric tone in places but it’s the strong grave quality of Navarrete’s music that lingers.
Mort d’un Berger (2024) – Léo Vincent (Léo Vincent)
In the French TV movie Mort d’un Berger (dir. Christian Bonnet) a mother who, originally believing that her son was killed by wolves, goes in search of answers but then she finds out that her son was actually murdered. Léo Vincent’s subdued and sombre score – written predominantly for strings – focuses on the emotional repercussions for the main characters of the story. It’s a dark but beautiful score and the album’s short running time (20 minutes) allows the listener to appreciate Vincent’s music in a manageable way.
Reel Music 