Dark Shadows

I remember well the TV series of DARK SHADWS, and Bob Colbert’s eerie sounding scores and haunting theme for the show. Now the big screen version emerges and in the hands of Tim Burton I am confident that it will be even darker and more alluring than the original small screen adaptations. The television show gained a cult status and still now has a following of many which seems to grow by the day, this movie version will also I am sure attain notoriety and be popular among both old and new fans of the mysterious central character BARNABUS. Composer Danny Elfman has enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with director Burton, Elfman’s scores being an integral and important component within Burton’s dark, off beat and often delightfully warped projects, which also at times would have tinges of comedy, poignancy, melancholy and emotion. Burton’s inimitable style of film making required scores that were diverse and also highly original, Elfman was certainly the individual to achieve this and he has written some fine soundtracks that not only enhance and support the storylines and escort the characters within these movies, underlining every move they make or highlighting their mannerisms and quirky behaviour, but remain entertaining as just stand alone music cues to be savoured and digested away from the movies they were intended to accompany. When it was announced that Burton would make DARK SHADOWS, it was no surprise to see Elfman’s name as composer included in the credits, in fact many took it as something of the norm to have the composer on board even before it was officially announced, a Tim Burton movie without Elfman, would be unthinkable, the buzz surrounding the music was, what type of score would Elfman etch upon the picture ? What delights of impish mayhem and mischievous musicality would we be treated to and what imposing and luxurious grand theme would we hear when the project was finally finished. Well the time for waiting, cogitating and anticipating what would be is over. Released on Sony Classical records in the UK and WaterTower in the USA we have Elfman’s powerful and beautiful score. This is in a nutshell probably the most superior soundtrack of Elfman’s to date, he has written a melodic and potent work that is commanding and highly thematic. The composer combines large orchestral textures and colours that are at times enhanced by choir and bolstered by a scattering of electronic elements to conjure up a score that delights and also enthrals the listener. Right from the beginning, the composer has you hooked, his opening cue on the compact disc is the Prologue, which is in effect an overture and a combination of a number of themes both melodic and atonal that are heard throughout the score.

Cue number 1, PROLOGUE (UNCUT),begins in a mysterious and almost misty and shrouded fashion, woods are utilized to create a sound and atmosphere that I suppose is apprehensive but also has an element of melodious content and slightly steamy if that is the correct description, in some ways evoking the style of John Barry, by this I mean being moody but tuneful. Elfman then brings low strings into the equation which are themselves underlined by subtle and fleeting use of choir, woods then return as the composition progress’s and grows becoming a more sustained and grand affair, organ is introduced alongside strings and horns to create a form of crescendo, but again short lived as the composition moves into a lush sounding piece with strings, brass, percussion and choir, this however curtails and makes way for a more subdued style of writing, until it finally builds and bursts into a full blown grand theme which for me is a combination of modern film scoring fused with a sound and also a technique that could be out of any one of the vintage Universal horrors and brought together by highly expressive and grandiose sounding flourishes from both strings and brass sections. Listening to the score over and over, one can pick out little nuances of past Elfman scores but there is also a grander additional powerful technique present, which is akin to the works of Kilar in places. Driving strings with flyaway sounding horns underlined by wistful woodwind and forceful percussive elements all combine to create and purvey a powerhouse of composition, in which the now familiar Elfman sound prevails and shines through.
Track number two, RESURRECTION, is at first quite a sinewy sounding cue, but this soon segues into something that is more substantial and driving, near searing and sliding strings whip up the proceedings into a frenzied mid track climax, which halts to the sound of a ominous sounding blast from brass, low strings are again brought into play and underline the use of choir and woodwinds, the composition is bolstered and punctuated by the use of synthesised sounds, which are effective and add depth and energy to the piece. Track number five SHADOWS-REPRISE, is a frenzied and urgent sounding cue, it is a working of the scores central theme performed again by booming brass, forceful strings and backed up with the utilization of synthetic elements, a short lived cue but none the less one that is commanding and exhilarating. This is in my opinion one of the better scores to be released thus far in 2012, it is a soundtrack that has an imposing and powerful presence to it and also one that I know will be popular amongst collectors and will be returned to on many occasions. Recommended.