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Doyle's music can be split into three distinct parts in Carlito's Way, starting with the strikingly poignant drama of the main two themes. From there, he applies source-like jazz material and, in increasing doses, a consistent action motif that dominates the climax of the movie. Neither of the main themes is particularly memorable, and this was another nagging trait of Doyle's melodic constructs in the early 1990's. The structures are definitely there, but he tended to avoid enunciating them in clear enough performances up front to justify the manipulation he intelligently applies to them thereafter. For some listeners, the Carlito and love themes will be inextricably connected, and they are often expressed very similarly and in succession during the scenes involving Carlito and his girlfriend. As a distinct entity, though, the Carlito theme is a lamentation for the main character's inability to escape the mob business, alternating between two dramatic chords repetitively during its length. This idea develops very anonymously during "Carlito's Way" and meanders considerably during the string elegy for the character's inevitable demise. It opens "Carlito and Gail" on tentative piano and builds on strings, interjects ominously at 1:25 into "The Cafe," and follows the suspense at 0:54 into "You're Over, Man" with the elegy's strings. The light jazz takes this theme to source-like mode at the outset of "Where's My Cheesecake?" and picks up the pace there before launching into the love theme. Carlito's identity suffers some agony on high strings and woodwinds at 2:25 into "The Buoy" and sometimes interrupts as a quick interlude in the driving action motif of "Grand Central," closing that cue with a quick statement. It returns to the original elegy format in "Remember Me" as the story wraps back to its beginning. The love theme, meanwhile, may be a bit redundant, but it provides the affair with a somewhat sour, descending personality that struggles to achieve true noir romance. Previewed in the middle of "Carlito's Way" between string elegy sections, this idea emerges more clearly over the course of "Carlito and Gail" and is pretty at 2:57 on violins. It opens "The Cafe" on solo piano very carefully, adding orchestral layers with some warmth, and indirectly informs the light lounge jazz on saxophone in "Laline."

The love theme in Carlito's Way enjoys perhaps its most lush rendition in the middle of "Where's My Cheesecake?" but doesn't have any further room to grow thereafter in the story. It briefly enters the action and suspense material at 1:38 into "The Buoy," and some of the closing victory tones of "Grand Central" touch upon the hope of the love theme. It expectedly develops from the elegy of the main theme for a tragically melodramatic and somewhat tortured moment in "Remember Me." Even in this moment of hallucination, the idea never really achieves convincingly tonal peace. More interesting for some listeners will be Doyle's action motif in Carlito's Way, a rather simplistic, rhythmic, upward movement that allowed the composer to let loose in the final chase scene. Introduced in hints alongside Carlito's theme at the end of "The Cafe," this idea forms the awkward, blurting low brass, marimba and electronic rhythms of "You're Over, Man," and that same rhythm roots around key at the start of "The Buoy." Lesser percussion and marimba tones open "The Elevator," yielding a forceful piano, cello rhythm. The same low, blurting rhythm starts "There's an Angle Here" with electric bass; these stalking cues are non-descript and don't advance the thematic narrative, unfortunately. But the motif suddenly attains a very muscular brass tone at the start of "Grand Central" and, typical of later Doyle action bravado as in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the composer lets rip for extended performances of engaging brass and percussion. The robust brass presence in "Grand Central" is much improved compared to Doyle's earlier efforts, making for an impressively long and rowdy track in film and on album. Ideally, though, the faux-victorious finale of "Grand Central" should have been split off into a separate track on the album. Overall, Carlito's Way is a surprisingly tender and dramatic score given the genre, and those enamored with Doyle's usual romanticism will find merit to its two leading themes. But these are tortured identities that still leave a sour taste in one's mouth, which could be alleviated by the improved action the composer provides for the climactic chase. The score doesn't congeal into a strong narrative outside of its beginning and end, though, a potentially unsatisfying presentation on album outside of these bookends. Be aware that there is no coolness or resonance to this music unless the elegy pulls on your heart strings. Organized crime scores are rarely so thoughtfully somber.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Patrick Doyle reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.7 (in 40 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.4 (in 26,966 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 41:27