To say that Zigman simply collected a paycheck without doing much to achieve a unique style of tackling My Sister's Keeper would be a disservice to his efforts, though some listeners may hear it as such. His ensemble consists of a partial orchestra (full strings, minimal woodwinds, and piano) and plucked elements (harp and guitar) that carry the music's only really distinctive personality. The score is technically anchored by the piano, which is a bit disappointing given the instrument's over-application to dramatic films involving suburban family lifestyles. His primary theme is elegantly conveyed by this instrument several times, though the melody bleeds into surrounding ambience for much of the score's middle portions. The full weight of the large string section is never realized in the work, leaving the soundscape surprisingly sparse. A slightly post-modern touch is applied to the equation through the distant mixing of acoustic (and seemingly electric) guitars, filling the atmosphere of the score's contemplative cues with a slightly dissonant and eerie feeling of discomfort. The mass of the work is rooted in the harmonic progressions of the major key, however. Despite this fact, the score's overall personality is one that is overwhelmingly depressing. Unlike an equivalent Portman score, My Sister's Keeper has no warmth; it's an alienating listening experience that reminds far more of Gabriel Yared's tone for solemn dramas. Rather than using performance depth to appeal as something like Autumn in New York would, though, My Sister's Keeper keeps a cool distance. The light guitar and piano performances attempt to counter this wishy-washy, slowly paced difficulty, but the score's half hour on album is ultimately devoid of much redemptive spirit. The one really unique cue, "Visiting Relatives," with accelerated rhythms and misplaced wordless vocals of a style from an era past, is what was referred to as out of place by critics, and on album it is equally disparate in style from the remainder of the material. In the end, My Sister's Keeper is both pretty and sufficient in its thoughtful representation of quiet, contemplative toil. But it remains so firmly rooted in an environment of despair that the few hints of positive energy that occasionally begin to stir from its ranks are swallowed by the extremely melancholy whole. No true sense of musical development from start to end, with no aural journey to be heard, is evidenced by the non-chronological cue order on album. That product is an equally sparse and depressing experience.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download