Details:
- Film: The Number 23
- Soundtrack composer: Harry Gregson-Williams
- Original year of release: 2007
- Number of tracks: 9
- Soundtrack duration: 44 mins 34 secs
- Tracks with vocals/distracting aspects: None
- Film score duration (with vocal tracks removed): 44 mins 34 secs
- Suggested suitable book genres: Eerie horror, Mounting Horror, Dark Thriller, Dark Sci-Fi
DLS Summary:
There’s nothing overly dramatic and dominating in this film score. Instead, we almost have 45 minutes of atmospheric background music that’s pretty much perfect for reading a novel to. In fact, the regular mounting of the music’s orchestral drama and escalation within the pace and tone is wonderfully suited for a novel that’s itself constantly mounting in pace.
As such this is ideal for an eerie horror, a tense thriller, or potentially the opening chapters of a novel where the plot is being established.
All in all though, this is a superb film score to read to. It’s not distracting or too dramatic, but instead creates an excellent backdrop. There are also no tracks with vocals, or anything else that would otherwise disturb you and your reading.
As a soundtrack to actually sit back and listen to though, it’s not exactly the most thrilling or original of pieces. That said, in places it does remind me of a Tyler Bates offering, which certainly isn’t a bad thing at all. Definitely recommended for soundtrack enthusiasts and especially those who like to read with one on in the background.
DLS Review:
From the very outset ‘The Number 23’ film score sets down a moody, relatively quiet, atmospheric score. At times we have an electronic orchestra and a modern sounding composition, flitter into the fold of the music – however these aspects are mostly only fleeting. The majority of the score delivers a multi-layered composition of mostly strings, with hints of flutes and some lower pitched brass, combining to make a wonderfully moody piece for reading to.
It’s certainly a slow mounter, with the music gradually building up its depth and ever-so-slightly its pace. However, at no point is there any urgency with the music. More a mounting, building atmosphere, as if we’re edging closer and closer towards an eventual destination.
This is the basis for the construction and delivery of pretty much the entire film score. Indeed, after the first track sets this musical backdrop in place, the second track delivers an equally quietly reserved sound, playing away in the background, with delicate advances in the music edging it further and further onwards. The music once again gradually mounting with the same sort of increasing depth to the strings, providing a perfect accompaniment to an eerie and carefully paced horror.
It should be noted that without good ANC on the go, at a moderate volume this film score isn’t going to completely mask or block out the hustle and bustle of a busy commuting train or the like. However, for a backing track for when you’re at home, or indeed if you have relatively good quality ANC, then this film score will provide a great accompaniment to your reading.
Throughout the film score the tempo and general dominance of the music remains fairly reserved. It certainly doesn’t leap out at you at any point, but instead creates almost a continuous audio backdrop that shouldn’t disturb your reading at all. This is exactly what you want when choosing a soundtrack/film score to read to.
However, due to the somewhat relaxed pacing of the music, it’s not going to be a particularly good choice for a high-octane, action-rich thriller, horror or sci-fi novel. Instead, it’s perhaps better suited for an eerie horror, or for particular chapters in a novel where its more plot establishing.
Throughout the album the film score continues delivering this overarching atmospheric composition, in places edging towards the sound of something Tyler Bates or indeed Danny Elfman might deliver. Well…perhaps the more reserved moments of an Elfman piece.
All in all a superb film score for reading to. Understated in its depth and dominance, to the point where it’s almost as if the film score was also composed for the purpose of reading.
As a soundtrack for reading to:
The soundtrack as a whole:
© DLS Reviews
