Finding Dory - Thomas Newman |
6/26/16 |
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What You Will Hear: A continuation of the soundscape created in Finding Nemo, plus some new inventive material. Don’t forget Sia performing "Unforgettable."
Standout Tracks: One Year Later, Jewel of Morro Bay, Gnarly Chop, Nobody’s Fine, Meet Destiny, Becky Flies, Open Ocean, Two Lefts And A Right, Everything About You, Quartantine, …Shells, Okay With Crazy, Unforgettable, Three Hearts Will You Be Humming Along? Just like Finding Nemo, there are no strong melodies. But none are needed. The album this makes me want to dust off: Finding Nemo – Thomas Newman Will I come back to it? Finding Dory is an interesting case. It is (at the same time) exactly like and completely removed from Finding Nemo. Newman again wonderfully nails the sound of the ocean. The ethereal strings and effects (anchored by the piano) are perfect. If the ocean sounded like an orchestra, this is what we’d experience. However, the majority of the film does not take place in the ocean. Instead, the adventure takes us inside the halls of an aquarium. With this in mind, Finding Dory is not quite as smooth as the first outing. This time around, things are much less melodic and inviting. The main theme really only shows up on “Everything About You.” The familial warmth just isn’t there beyond that moment. Everything else is much more mischievous as the characters sneak through the human world around them. But this isn’t really a bad thing. This new direction offers up a healthy amount of new music to enjoy. The first new sound is the use of effected/percussive vocalizations (See: “Jewel of Morro Bay”) It is always in the background but seems to represent Dory’s urgency as she starts to remember her childhood. It is a great addition to Newman’s usual tricks. The new character of Hank (the octopus, er… I mean septopus) is accompanied by some jazzy(ish) flute. (see: Nobody’s Fine) The very odd bird, Becky, brings a lively entry, as well. (see: Becky Flies) Throw in Sia’s rendition of “Unforgettable,” and you’ve got an overall great follow up. Much appreciation goes to sequels that respect the original, but also strive to create something new. Thomas Newman has done a wonderful job with Finding Dory. |