The Paradise (Original Television Soundtrack) by Maurizio Malagnini - Review

Paradise Found

Review by Richard Buxton

Riding the crest of DOWNTON ABBEY’S period drama wave, drama series THE PARADISE confirms that audiences’ desires to have their belief that English people, as a rule, speak with such meticulousness that the Queen herself would writhe with envy, has yet to waver. Airing on the BBC in the UK and PBS in the US, THE PARADISE tells the story of England’s first ever department store and its effect on the surrounding community, and introduces a composer who is likely to be cropping up on the radar of many in the wake of this release - MAURIZIO MALAGNINI. MALAGNINI’S career is still in its infancy, but the Italian composer is already displaying a panache far beyond that which his relatively little experience might suggest.

Many scores, particularly those from television, suffer from a wavering in quality resulting from a lack of consistency. THE PARADISE shows no such weakness in what is a remarkably dependable album that is unfailingly engaging despite lacking the highs that could decisively elevate it into greatness.

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Last Resort (Original Television Soundtrack) by Robert Duncan - Review

Emotional Depth ... Charges

by Richard Buxton

Despite ticking all of the modern day TV drama boxes and applying them to an unfamiliar, intense, and thrilling high-concept premise and setting, ABC’s LAST RESORT only lasted a single season in today’s cutthroat television industry. The singular single season follows the crew of the USS Colorado - declared enemies of their own nation after defying orders to launch a nuclear attack on Pakistan - as they struggle to uncover a government conspiracy while fighting for their lives and justice on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

Scored by prolific television composer ROBERT DUNCAN (CASTLE, THE UNIT, BUFFY), LAST RESORT meets all of the requirements one could set for a military conspiracy drama. The score could quite easily be mistaken for a major Hollywood film production ...

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Africa (Original Television Soundtrack) by Sarah Class - Review

Classy
by Edmund Meinerts

If there’s any category of media about which it could be said that they practically guarantee outstanding musical accompaniment, then it would be the nature documentary – especially those saddled with the esteemed name of David Attenborough. For film music fans, the other name that will immediately come to mind is that of GEORGE FENTON, who has produced a wealth of excellent music for such titles as DEEP BLUE and PLANET EARTH. The composer for 2013’s AFRICA, however, is SARAH CLASS, herself no stranger to Attenborough productions, and though her music doesn’t quite achieve the same sweeping memorability as FENTON’S, it is still a highly varied, impressive and very listenable album.

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Breaking Bad (Original Score from the Television Series) by Dave Porter - Review

Breaking Bad Isn't Breaking Ground 
Review by Thomas Midena

Since the first season aired in 2008, this American drama series created by Vince Gilligan has risen to small-screen fame, and is now one of the most popular shows on television. Breaking Bad is a dark thriller which follows the story of Walter White, a man who descends into a life of crime in order to provide for his family. Supplying the soundtrack for the show since the beginning is composer Dave Porter. His music, however, takes a backseat in this production. It fulfills the necessary action and emotional beats, but never emerges beyond the format of a glorified soundscape.

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