As expected, there is a merging of tributes to the John Barry and David Arnold scores of the Bond franchise with standard methodology from the Remote Control expectations that grip action films in the 2010's. The score is anchored by a decently employed orchestra, its performances solid but not necessarily containing a twist of high style you would expect for such a pseudo-parody. Some of this relative lack of pizzazz is produced by a de-emphasized treble region (no abundance of wailing trumpets outside of a few poignant accents) as you would expect for major action fare of this type, the lower brass handling a weightier presence in the mix joined by electric guitar coolness at times. Even the low flute usage, a clear reference to the vintage Barry scores, resides deep in the mix. The score's primary thematic element is the domain of the outward orchestral performances, the tune utilized heavily and culminating in a delightful extended narrative wrap-up in "Finale." The composers reference the main, descending three note sequence of the theme with great frequency in the score, yielding a cohesive arc and more than enough enthusiastic, ballsy statements to satisfy the listener. A handful of choral moments in the score are nicely applied without fantasy overkill, though in some cases, as in "An 1815 Napoleonic Brandy," there seems to be electronic atmospherics blended into the mix as well. The electronic presence in the score for Kingsman: The Secret Service is at times reminiscent of Arnold's Bond work but may become its own issue for some listeners by the time the manipulation of the music for the villain's tracks comes into play. Indeed, the character of Valentine receives an intriguingly yearning theme, but that idea is often accompanied by a pulsating, sampled edits that become extremely obnoxious in how they're applied as a rhythm. Listeners can hear the villain's ideas without this technique in a demo suite made available on the longer version of the album. There's no arguing that the idea behind this rhythmic manipulation is sound, and perhaps it's even wise, but the noise is difficult to tolerate on album given its frequency of employment. There exist two versions of the album, the one embodied by the La-La Land Records CD product including 10+ minutes of bonus material that is somewhat redundant but still of interest to enthusiasts of the score. Note that the film made ample use of song placements, some of that material original, and none of that music is mingled with the score on its separate products. Ultimately, Jackman and Margeson offer up enough reverence and effective action muscularity to safely recommend this score on the whole. But be aware that there are obnoxious sequences of sampling or manipulation on the album that may require you to rearrange the product into a more palatable presentation.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download