For some listeners, there may be a degree of disappointment with the fact that Isham chooses a very safe and humble road in 42. There are three facets to most of the score's length, none of which really reaching out and grabbing the attention of the listener despite being competent to the task at hand for each part. The score opens with its most expected element: respectful, thoughtful Americana ambience. Isham's solo trumpet performances (reportedly not his own this time) are a highlight of the work, but unfortunately they are diminished for most of the score and replaced at times with far more subtle woodwind tones. The dark side of 42, whether manifested in troubled contemplation or outward confrontation, is addressed by the ominous whole notes of low strings, an anonymous but effective technique. The most exuberant portions of the score are those in "Jackie's Style of Baseball," "Jackie Steals," and a few others; these upbeat violin and piano-led sequences offer the rhythmic flow of Fly Away Home and are sadly too infrequent in the score to counter the stoic personality of the remainder. As the work progresses, the Americana part of the equation exerts itself in fuller orchestral performances, "Rachel is Pregnant" heralding a feeling of nobility that will be extended considerably in the solid suite track, "Jackie Robinson," that concludes the album presentation. If there is one dominant, recurring criticism to be made of Isham's Americana works, it is that he has rarely been able to recapture the combination of melodic charm and graceful flow of Fly Away Home, a throw-away assignment like Racing Stripes ironically coming closest to that achievement. Many of the same concerns about Miracle come back to haunt 42, led by Isham's inability to enunciate the progressions of his themes in such a way as to really make them memorable for the average listener. Indeed, 42 is full of thematic development, but the pacing of these ideas is so slow and the orchestrations so generic that the listener has little chance to latch onto the theme and empathize with its target representations as a result. As such, 42 is a lovely little score that builds to its necessary crescendo at the end, easily earning Isham his pay for the project. But it's also an anonymous effort, one so careful to honor a legend without over-dramatizing him that the whole package ultimately fails to connect on a deeper level. Had Isham maintained a greater solo role for the trumpet (maybe just an adjustment of the mix), perhaps the score would have developed that distinctive touch. The rather short score-only album features very little in hints of the prevailing musical styles of the era, either. It's a nice souvenir from the film but it's difficult not to get the feeling that an opportunity for a classic sports score was missed here.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download