Welcome to America's oddest little town, with music to match
James Thomas Jeans | Glenwood Acres, TX USA | 09/07/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Bear McCreary is a wonderful composer. Those who follow science fiction television may be familiar with his work in 'Battlestar Galactica' and 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles'. The music he provides for either of those shows tends to dwell in the dark and dramatic, but what he's written for 'Eureka' is something altogether different.
'Eureka' -- both the show and the town from which the show takes its title -- is probably the quirkiest thing on cable TV. It has enough drama to keep one hooked, but for the most part the tone is light and fun. The show's soundtrack reflects this sentiment.
What we have here is 28 tracks lifted from the show's second season. With the exception of the marvelous opening theme (also available on this CD), the first season featured music that was somewhat generic. It lacked a unique identity.
When Bear McCreary arrived at the beginning of season two, he brought with him a confident musical identity that has remained steadfast throughout. As with McCreary's other television scores, leitmotif is an important element in painting a lush musical landscape. Almost every central character has a recurring theme (with the puzzling exception of Nathan Stark), and even a couple of incidental characters have motifs that are associated with them.
What stands out the most about the music in 'Eureka' is the marriage between traditional instruments and synthetic elements. There's a hefty dose of acoustic guitar, but it's usually offset by looped drum samples and the sort of digital bleeps that would sound perfectly at home on an 8 bit gaming system. It's an interesting marriage, and it works to give 'Eureka' a unique audio aesthetic.
There is also the occasional deviation from the norm -- 'Allison's Theme' is a traditional romantic composition, 'The Mask of Fargo' is an energetic flamenco romp (which accompanies what is possibly the funniest sequence in the second season), and 'Henry's Theme' broods in the same dark place that the character himself spends the majority of the show's sophomore year.
The only complaint that I have about the album is that, while the show does have a very unique musical sound, the album itself feels a bit same-y. There's not a lot of variation in the majority of the work, and some leitmotifs seem to reoccur quite frequently (particularly the main melody from 'Sheriff Carter's Theme').
Over all, this is a soundtrack well worth getting. It features some of the best score from the second year, the brilliant opening theme, and even a couple of songs (one of which is performed by Bear's brother).
If you're a fan of 'Eureka' -- or of odd-ball music in general -- I recommend picking up this album."
Track Listings (28) - Disc #1