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Zirngibl's themes for Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia aren't spectacular, and they tend to meander at times, but their expressions are generally exemplary. Concept purists in love with the theme song's melody will hear a nice nod to "Come and Fly With Me" by the composer to open the score at 0:06 into "Iko Flies" on solo gospel voice, a compellingly beautiful connection to the song. The score is anchored by a single main theme that serves the titular character and narrative as a whole. Combatting it is a frequently referenced theme for Toxor and secondary ideas for other characters in Centopia. The main theme is obvious in its anthemic performances but tends to stray in its secondary phrases as Zirngibl adapts it to other situations. The first five notes of the theme are always consistent, but with the meandering phrasing thereafter, the composer eventually establishes a dominant romantic variant to the theme in the second half of the score. This development is welcome in some ways, as the primary, anthemic version of the theme is yet another identity that will remind listeners of Trevor Rabin's Deep Blue Sea. (The connection would have been funnier if Toxor had been a shark.) The theme's primary form explodes at 1:25 and 1:44 into "Iko Flies" on heroic brass layers over choir, producing the most raucous moments in the score. It's hinted with suspense at 0:08 and 0:21 into "Toxor's Awakening" but becomes valiantly heroic at 2:05 with guitar and choir. The main theme begins "Memories" with a pretty but fragmented presence, informing much of the cue's warmth and introducing the different secondary phrasing for a more wholesome approach to the idea. After its original progressions prevail at 0:15 into "Arrival in Centopia" in ensemble fantasy mode, Zirngibl presents it at 1:09 and 1:38 into "All Aboard the Phuddelin" with optimistic whimsy and yet another new second phrase. The prior, more romantic variant is developed further at the outset of "Mia and Iko," cello and solo voice at 1:38 extending that version even further. The theme interjects in action bursts at 0:50 and after in "Air Fight," melodramatic with choir at 2:01, and is led by solo gospel voice at 1:40 into "Phuddle to the Rescue" and agonized at 2:08 into "The Big Fight."

The continuous manipulation of Zirngibl's main theme doesn't harm the score for Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia significantly, as some of the new paths for the secondary phrases are arguably superior. The romantic variant at 0:48 into "Mia and the Pool of Fear" is followed by the anthemic original form at 1:32 before dissolving in dissonance, though the dramatic variant builds at 1:45 into "My Name is Mia" to a full victorious statement, meandering through even more new secondary phrasing once again. These romantic versions of the theme open "One Last Goodbye" before the original melody receives closure on gospel voice and choir at 0:30 in that cue. The composer offers the idea in the real-life world at the beginning of "A Long Story" in a fragment on woodwinds, moving on to the romantic variant in full at 1:18. With the first five notes clearly connecting all of these renditions of the theme, Zirngibl keeps the idea rooted well enough to serve its purpose at the end. Conversely, the theme for Toxor doesn't explore much variation in its aggressive melody, but Zirngibl does express it in very disparate and sometimes subliminal ways. Utilizing two menacing phrases, the theme's instrumentation dominates more than the melody itself. Its most prominent statement comes early, stomping brass and electric guitar at 0:53 into "Toxor's Awakening" eventually boiling down to more fluid renditions in the middle of the cue. It prevails on brass at 0:05 into "Toxification of Lotus Island," fully exposing its second phrase this time; it's reduced to only bass strings in the middle of the cue, transforms into a minimized two-phrase fanfare of evil at 1:18, and closes out the scene with some more overtly threatening pipe organ character. Thereafter, Toxor's theme plays an ancillary role, often occurring under another line of action. It's briefly hinted at the start of "All Aboard the Phuddelin," closes "Mia and Iko" with suspense, and interrupts at 1:37 into "Air Fight." Unless you're listening carefully, you might miss the theme in the background at 0:20 into "Show No Mercy." It's still a little buried at 0:47 into "The Big Fight" but is afforded a beefy moment with guitars at 1:50. Its last hurrah comes at 0:49 into "My Name is Mia" on strings under a touch of suspenseful atmosphere, the character receiving no thematic representation as impressively dominant as its introductory moments.

In his secondary themes for Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia, Zirngibl offers distinct motifs for certain characters. A playful theme for Phuddle the pan provides the score's happier passages for high woodwinds, debuting at 0:27 and 1:58 into "All Aboard the Phuddelin," extending to 0:43 into "Mia and Iko," and opening and closing "Air Fight" in serious action mode but returning to its more innocent form in between at 1:09. This idea begins "Phuddle to the Rescue" in a light flurry, shifting again to function as an action motif, and this malleability persists at the outset of "The Big Fight" and as a care-free reminder and statement of freedom at 0:54 into "A Long Story." The score's most unique moments come with the Storm Unicorn theme, where Zirngibl embraces mid-1980's synthetic style akin to The NeverEnding Story. Brazenly debuting during all of "Flight of the Storm Unicorn," this idea's melody and instrumentation carry over to a brief burst at 0:38 into "Show No Mercy" before adopting the orchestra more readily at 0:35 and 1:01 into "The Big Fight." It opens "My Name is Mia" with flair as well. From there, Zirngibl dabbles in ideas that tend not to be reprised explicitly, including a potential Iko theme at 1:07 into "Iko Flies" that definitely exudes Tinker Bell, a family theme with a first phrase left hanging as a longing technique at 1:10 into "Memories," and a possible Mia and Iko theme at 0:53 into "Mia and Iko." These orphaned ideas litter the score, leaving the narrative a little looser than desired. Some of this wayward development may simply owe to the fact that only 38 of the 64 minutes of recorded score is provided on the combined song and score product for the movie. There's enough melodic interconnectivity in that 38 minutes to keep the score presentation afloat, however, as it's the breadth of instrumental and vocal character that really keeps you engaged. Zirngibl brings most of the mix's various elements together in peace during the middle of "My Name is Mia," and even if the themes aren't overly obvious outside of the main idea's anthemic variant, the whole remains a joy. Few could have expected that Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia would represent one of the most refreshing scores of 2022, its swashbuckling aspects balanced by contemporary coolness and compelling vocals with rousingly entertaining results. A German CD option joins an international digital release, and even the grumpy film score collectors most skeptical of colorful fairies and unicorns might appreciate Zirngibl's overachieving success.   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

• Music as Written for the Film:  *****
• Music as Heard on Album:  ****
• Overall:  ****

Total Time: 64:15