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One thing you are basically guaranteed to hear from Lockington in score like San Andreas is an arguably unnecessary but relieving tandem of intelligent instrumentation and complex structures. To the say that his music for outrageous blockbuster action scenes is more intellectually constructed than most of what emerges from the clones of Hans Zimmer's Remote Control factory is not necessary; more interesting is his capability to produce a workmanlike result befitting of a similar Brian Tyler score but pepper it with more engaging instrumental dynamism and themes that better express emotion. Lockington has a knack for producing action music that straddles the line between harmonic accessibility and dissonant challenges while yielding a highly listenable result on album, and his insistence upon constantly present counterpoint and thematic development makes his major works a pleasure to hear (and review). The instrumental selection for San Andreas starts with an orchestra featuring an emphasized brass section, as expected. Add to that a children's choir anchored by a boy soprano to touch upon the biblical proportions of the destruction in the story. Piano solos offer the obligatory familial perspective. There is the usual amount of electronics for Lockington, less than in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters but still an effective presence through especially the suspense cues. Taiko and other drums offer resonance on occasion. The most unusual element of the mix is Lockington's mutilation of an old piano to generate a grinding, electronically manipulated tone to represent the earthquakes; cynics could claim that an electric guitar would have been just as sufficient at the task, and, granted, some novice listeners won't be able to tell the difference anyway. Together, these contributors combine very nicely in San Andreas, the orchestra remaining front and center at all times. There are times when Lockington strays toward the masculine power anthem attitude that Tyler has especially adopted from the vintage Zimmer playbook, but its usage here is never overbearing in the bass region and nothing in this score has any resemblance to the "over-produced" sound that you hear in most competing scores during this era. The highlight cue of "Skydive" is the best example of soaring thematic heroism combined with beefy orchestration and magnificent resonance of a sort that didn't require more than the natural force of the brass to succeed. There are times when Lockington's electronic sounds are a tad intrusive (what is that odd, dull tone in "The Kiss"?) but they do not really diminish the whole.

The real pleasure in San Andreas comes with the merging of exciting action sequences and Lockington's usual tendency to almost overthink his themes, the latter a definite plus for film music enthusiasts. While San Andreas contains one overarching theme for the general state of affairs in the story, the composer adds several secondary ideas that flourish to yield a complete narrative not unlike the complexity of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. The main theme is an undeniable throwback to John Williams' long-lined identities for the Irwin Allen disaster flicks of the early 1970's, elegantly conveying humanity's struggle in multiple phrases of romantic struggle. Almost distracting in a good way with this theme is its tendency to evoke melodramatic connections to both Claude-Michel Schönberg's fan-favorite "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables and the main theme from Richard Harvey's exquisite Animal Farm, especially in the stylish twists Lockington uses at each end of his secondary phrase. The final three notes of the second phrase are altered by the composer to suit the needs of the film by taking the last two and shifting them between minor and major key use. It's a simple but nice touch. You hear a brief reference to this theme at the outset of the score, but its fullest incarnation arguably comes in "San Andreas End Credits." Expect several very attractive renditions of this idea throughout the score, sometimes boiled down, as in "Extinction," to the solo boy's voice. The purpose of the secondary themes is not always clear, but their existence is much welcomed. The "Resuscitation" cue near the end of the film summarizes them well (with almost vintage James Horner/Apollo 13 choral applications), concluding with what might be considered a theme for San Francisco (also heard valiantly a the end of the "San Francisco" cue) that owes significantly to Michael Kamen's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Then you have the alternating, Zimmer-like theme from choir at the outset of "Resuscitation" that was the basis of the remarkable "Skydive." Amongst these ideas (in "The Kiss," most notably) is probably family theme that dates back to "Divorce Papers." There is also a sinewy motif that meanders around key, heard best perhaps in "I'll Bring Her Back," that seems to represent the threat of the earthquakes. As usual for Lockington, these ideas alternate in rapid succession and sometimes mingle in ways that cause them to generate more of an overall impression rather than singular, easily identifiable ideas for the average movie-goer to recognize.

In some of Lockington's scores, especially those in the Journey franchise, you have to exercise a fair amount of patience to get to the bulk of his score's highlights in the middle and later sections, and San Andreas exhibits this trait as well. It will be tempting for the composer's enthusiasts to blast through the first fifteen minutes of this score in search of Journey-worthy melodic grace and simply not find it. That's because the suspense and action sequences in San Andreas are more pervasive and push the fantasy element that Lockington is better known for to the back burner for long sequences. That doesn't mean that the first half of San Andreas lacks merit; it's simply not as overwhelmingly entertaining. Don't be surprised if you initially judge the work as average based on its initial third. Amongst the action, however, you have cues like "San Francisco" and "Skydive" that are simply winners in every regard, and by "Extinction," the album really flourishes with the thematic development and fantasy tones you've grown to love from Lockington. He uses the boy soprano as the replacement for the modern female tone in Journey 2 and Percy Jackson, and the results are just as mesmerizing; the composer's applications of solo voice are among his greatest strengths. Those of you seeking Lockington's own unique mannerisms will be pleased to hear a number of them, especially near the end. These include his hanging conclusion technique in the final seconds of "Resuscitation" (after a remarkably militaristic rendition of the secondary theme for San Francisco that, along with its longer performance to close "San Andreas End Credits," will convince you that David Arnold was behind the composition) and the whining, rising string pitch to open "San Andreas End Credits." Both carry over obviously from Journey 2. Overall, there is an abundance of intelligence in the music San Andreas, not what you'd expect for a film of such a silly, unscientific nature. Crystal clear lines in the recording are tremendous assets, Lockington's roaring thematic sequences never obscuring even the flutes in counterpoint duties. His ability to explore satisfying chords throughout the ensemble remains another of his calling cards. Some listeners will need to appreciate the final fifteen minutes of the score first before going back to better recognize the various elements at work in the previous sequences. The product ends with an eerie, quasi-religious cover of "California Dreamin'" as heard in the film's trailers and emulating Madonna's "Like a Prayer" in tone while infusing some ghostly lament. Lockington's score may be tiring in its relentless action mode but it is solid throughout, raising hype for his likely involvement with Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Total Time: 72:12