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The organic portion of the score is built from a 61-piece orchestra of mostly strings and woodwinds, with slight Hammond organ and piano in support. These players are rarely allowed to exude any genuine warmth or significant volume. On the other side, the synthetic element is darkly brooding and atmospheric, akin to The Lookout. There are times when this half of the work is unlistenable. The electronically distorted tones in "Unrest" are really abrasive by design, and some of the looped effects are annoyingly awkward, especially in the brutal "The Lie." The most dissonant portions suggest pure horror at times, as in "Unrest" and "Burning." On the lighter side, generic, synthetic choral tones occupy "Riot." Usually, Howard adorns scores like Freedomland with transitory moments of beauty, but this score is largely lacking such relief. There are a few cues of significantly worthy design, however, led by the lengthy "Freedomland," a distinct precursor to the stylish instrumentation and chord shifts of Blood Diamond; this cue offers the best representation of the score's various facets in an accessible format. But aside from that sequence, there is a frustrating lack of clarity in Howard's thematic attributions and development. Numerous melodic ideas are introduced, seemingly for various characters, and yet these themes never achieve a clear purpose or representation. A fleeting idea likely for the lead detective is slightly bluesy and confident in its pair of seven and eight-note phrases, and this style would have been highly welcomed in the rest of the work. Heard immediately on piano in "Main Title" before a harsh, contemporary outburst interferes, this theme stutters at the outset of "You're in the Wrong Park" on piano under uneasy synth pulses, its chords informing the stark ensemble resonance at the end of the cue. An elongated form follows on clarinet in the middle of "I'll Come See You." A secondary idea for the investigation is something of a generic mystery identity, dwelling on and around key with significant repetition of notes. Debuting at 1:45 in "Main Title" on piano, this one recurs early amongst the droning in "Did They Arrest Anyone?" and on piano against synthetic tonality at 1:41 into "I'll Come See You."

Howard attempts to address the Cody/Brenda (child and mother) duo in Freedomland with a pair of themes that may represent one person each, but the score never makes that strategy clear. Nor does either theme really generate much sympathy, which is perhaps this score's fatal error. The first of these ideas is a meandering, ascending and descending phrase repeated cyclically, starting at 2:24 into "Main Title" on piano under threatening synthetic and percussive atmosphere. It returns in the middle of "Brenda's Apartment" on piano over solo clarinet and at 3:23 into "Freedomland" on those same instruments once again. It proceeds tenderly on synthetic keyboarding at 3:24 into "Riot," earning more volume and warmth, and opens "I'll Come See You" on louder piano over strings. Often alongside that idea is the secondary one built upon a more simplistic, alternating minor third rhythm of moderate propulsion. Heard at 2:10 into "Main Titles" underneath other material and at 1:31 into "Brenda's Apartment" on piano, this melody is expressed with more determination against hefty percussion 0:46 into "Did They Arrest Anyone?" and follows at 0:34 into "I'll Come See You" on harp and 0:45 into "Little Angel" once more on piano with more defined underlying chords. Finally, there's the aforementioned theme for Freedomland, its definite Blood Diamond connections obvious in its inspirational and modern chord emphasis. While dominating "Freedomland," this idea continues in more somber tones during "Inside Freedomland" while its progressions smoothen out in the synthetic choral fog of "Riot." Finally, the theme is eerie on synths at start of "Little Angel" before developing into a lovely, albeit brief piano rendition at end. Sadly, none of these themes really serves a memorable purpose in the score, nor do they evolve in any meaningful way, leaving the music's awkward instrumental blend and depressing demeanor overall as its calling card. There were the makings for a truly poignant score here, but the 45-minute listening experience on album frustrates more often than not. Approach Howard's music from Freedomland for its main "Freedomland" cue in the middle and perhaps the closing "Little Angel," but lower your expectations and don't anticipate any narrative satisfaction.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For James Newton Howard reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.26 (in 81 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.25 (in 89,297 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 45:07