The Lincoln Lawyer (Soundtrack) by Cliff Martinez - Reviewed

Better Lawyer Up
Richard Buxton

CLIFF MARTINEZ is yet another example of musicians lending their talents to film scores. Yet, in a manner contrasting to that of the normal process, Martinez has found what seems like a permanent residence in the world of film scoring, beginning in 1989 with SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE, MARTINEZ has accumulated over 25 film scoring credits to date, suggesting that his real success and longevity is to be found in film music.

MARTINEZ teams up with director BRAD FURMAN, a relatively new director, for THE LINCOLN LAWYER, a thriller revolving around defense attorney Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) and a murder case.

Barring the more light-hearted affairs of the genre, legal dramas aren’t known for their thematic content, with composers opting for a more ambient underscoring approach, an attribute MARTINEZ maintains in his music for THE LINCOLN LAWYER. “How’s It Hangin’ Counselor” (1) introduces listeners to what they can expect over the next 40 minutes, as within the 2.5 minute running-time, the opening track provides a brief summary of the dominant forces at work in MARTINEZ’S music. Opening with a dream-like pads and a nonchalant bass line the track quickly picks up the pace with guitar stabs that eventually lay way to a percussion dominated climax. The emotions that the track evokes are relatively shallow as the music rarely attempts to challenge the listener.

Read the full review