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The score wouldn't espouse Newman's atypical style of drama without a variety of uniquely worldly sounds, and George Doering is a key contributor as he performs dulcimer, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, tambourine, lute, and recorder for the score. These instrumental colors are the heart of the recording, in particular the twangy guitar positioned at the forefront. Sound effects like droplet noises are used to accent rhythms at times for a sense of quirkiness as well. Less obvious are the outright synthetic elements, including seemingly fake brass that lends some depth to "Live Stream," and manipulation of the soundscape is only obnoxious at the outset of "Niagara." While the resulting demeanor isn't easily accessible in its harmony at all times, there's little dissonance in the score. Some discomfort exists in the darker shades of "Chevy Engine," and the middle of "Local Hero" is perhaps the score's most abrasive moment on par with similar sequences in Tolkien and White Bird. Generally, the highlights aren't as enthusiastic and attractive in this rendition of the Newman sound even though the composer stays close to the foundation of his typical rhythmic and melodic structures. More obvious in this work is the tone, especially the pleasantly plucky aspect of the performance that emphasizes comedy. Newman has always used lightly plucked elements for this purpose in his career, and techniques like cascading woodwind solos against light beds of string action are highly familiar. Three themes share equal duties in A Man Called Otto, the main one an exercise in restraint and hesitancy, stumbling over itself until finally revealing its full progressions. Each phrase seems to cyclically resolve itself to some degree, leaving nothing hanging, a perfect representation for a character seemingly stuck in a loop of despair and similar situations of redemption later. This theme uses ascending two-note phrases that stutter and eventually lengthen to three-note phrases. It's not the most obvious melody, but its rendering serves the purpose as manipulated. The idea debuts on the electric guitar at the start of "Hypertrophic" over clunky rhythms, returns to that same slightly indignant mode in "Silver Quarter," and starts gaining momentum in "Local Hero" but yields to the score's secondary sentimental theme.

Newman's main theme for A Man Called Otto doesn't factor much in the bulk of the narrative, exploring fragments at the start of "So Angry" and only its progressions inform the inspirational moment of rebellion in the middle of "Live Stream." But the idea slowly emerges from its shell in the closing "A Man Called Otto" with piano and vocals. More prevalent is the cantankerous theme for the lead character, using the plucky percussion in rhythms to convey a funny but irascible attitude. A descending line for layered clarinet offers the somewhat amusing melodic element, and an elongated resolution to the theme alternates between notes as if stuck in place. This character theme occupies all of "Alvin Wrench" with the percussion and sound effects both lighthearted, and it provides the underlying rhythmic flair propelling "The Differences" before adopting a smoother tone in "A Cat." The most instrumentally creative diversion in the score applies this material in "I Wouldn't Say No," accordion and didgeridoo contributing. Similar humor follows in "The Old Switcheroo," turns positive at the end of "Local Hero," and revisits its percussively comical mode in "Pollo Con Molé" and "Derailleur." The original clarinet lines reprise the "Alvin Wrench" approach in "Drift," and that instrument finally resolves the theme at the end of "Rock-a-Bye" without stuttering. Finally, a sentimental love theme consists of a more softly descending melody of meandering but likable personality, its general phrasing similar to that of the song and should have been directly connected to it. Heard early on plucked elements in "Force of Nature," this theme softly wanders through "The Wrong Train" like a distant but good memory and overtakes the main theme with additional string warmth in "Local Hero." It's streamlined for a lovely moment of redemption with vocals in "Niagara," more contemplative on strings in "So Angry," and shifts to a pretty, stylish variant on piano in the latter half of "Live Stream." Although lightly resolved in "Rock-a-Bye," the love theme really needed a more direct link to the song at that moment. Together, these themes are sufficient, but nobody will remember A Man Called Otto because of them. Instead, Newman's distinctively unconventional instrumental palette drives the work's appeal, and it makes for an undemanding experience on album. Despite that highly unusual personality, the music represents Newman's predictably workmanlike mode.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Thomas Newman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.17 (in 42 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.14 (in 62,583 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 47:52