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Various Artists - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Soundtrack
- Disney’s second (and apparently last) venture into Narnia continues some of the musical turns from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Prince Caspian delves deeper into the franchise. Along with a few pop tracks, Harry Gregson-Williams creates a musical force that sweeps through the fantasy world of Narnia.
There is a bit of a darker tone listening to this soundtrack in comparison to the Narnia soundtrack. It could be because the issues dealt in this soundtrack are more intense, but it can also be the inclusion of the choir operas in the background. Their ominous tones, singing, bring an extra depth that was missing from the first album. The give and take for listening to this album is the fact that it sounds so similar to the first soundtrack that it gets unfair comparisons. The songs will sound like rehashes because they have to have an underlying theme to them. What Harry Gregson-Williams achieved is adding variation to the Narnia soundtrack.
There are some great orchestral works on the soundtrack. The opposing forces in “Journey to the How” is beautiful. It starts off slow and peaceful and suddenly there is the rush of violins, quickly changing the pace of the whole track. Another standout from the others is “Sorcery and Sudden Vengeance.” The track also does the wondrous build but has an eerie twist to it. Its choir and the drumbeats are aggressive and, as the title suggests, sudden.
It is a shame that there are a few little tracks missing. The theme for the mouse was left out and that was quirky and fun. Also, the track played in the movie before “Prince Caspian Flees” is also absent.
The pop tracks are placed between tracks 13 and 16. Regina Spektor was not the first name that I would have thought to attach to the “Narnia” name but I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting something similar to Annie Lennox’s song, “Into the West,” featured on the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and in a way, I received the same track. While not as vocally majestic as Lennox, Spektor magically fits. Her track fits the soundtrack, but could easily slip into any of her albums. The last track, “Lucy,” by Hanne Hukkelberg, is pretty, but feels unnecessary to the album. The song is not used in any form in the movie and is unfortunately placed as the last track on the album.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Soundtrack is a great album if you considered buying the album and did not purchase the first. The sound cues are similar but still very emotive. Regina Spektor and the other pop singers fit well into the soundtrack idea, but feel like an afterthought being placed at the end of the album.
Reviewer: Michael Pascua
new
Reviewer's Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
Added: 31-Dec-2008
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