Stylistically, Burwell handles The Blind Side with predictable methodology but doesn't quite bring all of its disparate pieces together into a cohesive whole. He hired a limited orchestral ensemble in Seattle to supplement performances on a number of acoustic and electric guitars, piano, percussion, and other specialty soloists, with synthesized atmospherics (in the form of vague choral tones) sometimes lending added depth as well. Because the film has to juggle the topics of brash football attitude, hip contemporary style, and wholesome orchestral melody, the score for The Blind Side ends up tackling all three without really excelling at any of them. The score's most attractive theme exists for the hip, contemporary aspect, heard immediately in "To Protect His Blind Side" and consisting of simple descending phrases of easy coolness over ascending electric bass lines. In several subsequent cues, most notably "The Hang of It," Burwell fleshes the idea out with a variety of clapping and tapping enthusiasm and eventually orchestral backing. The same formula exists in "Summer Training," the electric guitar beginning to really infuse a Western flavor with enough twang to represent the South. By "Thank Me Later," more aggressive percussive rhythms and keyboarding over standard Western band elements steer the score towards its ballsy material in the midsection as "The First Game" and "Gridiron Machine" intensify the hard-ass aspect of the on-field activities. After this extremely harsh duo of cues, Burwell returns to softer acoustic shades in "Inspired Play" and "The Art of Recruiting," slightly retro keyboarding and rhythms reminding somewhat of Marvin Hamlisch's vintage music. The clapping effects are a bit obnoxious, but these passages are mostly harmless, looped expressions of the title theme and its occasional interludes for orchestra. The orchestra really starts to take over in the score during its final third, naturally, when the feel-good part of the story's conclusion is really pressed. A touch of Western pizzazz from The Hi-Lo Country represents the best of Burwell's usual, abnormally jumpy progressions. Lovely trumpet solos in the latter half of "The Light Brigade" and strings and woodwinds in the following two cues are generic but touching. Most engaging is "My Son Michael," a hint of Conspiracy Theory's theme eventually succumbing to gorgeous piano solos that exude a sense of the Old South. Overall, there's nothing really wrong with any of these portions of the score, but Burwell doesn't have much time to overlap these stylistic identities with much satisfaction. In some ways, it seems like he took the easy route with the electronic half of the score, because Jerry Goldsmith definitely proved with Rudy that these personal growth sports scores don't have to cater to conventions. Burwell's approach seems to echo John Debney's rejected work for Remember the Titans, though, and at the very least, those techniques suffice.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download