An intriguing amount of the score for Spies in Disguise is anonymously rendered in its melodic movements, especially in the middle portions of the story; from "Walk on By" to "Drone Factory Complete," Shapiro neglects his core set of themes to the extent that most of such material is only barely sufficient. Unlike a work like Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, which was buoyed by really solid thematic consistency throughout its length, Spies in Disguise is challenged by comparatively lesser themes and rather unsatisfying development of them. The score still works on the whole, but it's the kind of soundtrack that strives to set a mood rather than tell a story on its own. There are several decent themes employed, but don't expect them to be completely effective in their applications. They include identities for Sterling and his pigeon heroics, Walter's heart and inventiveness, and the villain, with secondary ideas for the H.T.U.V. organization and other concepts contributing at times. The theme of funky attraction for Sterling is meant to be the soul of the score, but it's too brief and lacking secondary phrasing. It's pretty much tethered to just four notes in two phrases, sometimes all descending, sometimes the latter two ascending for an "impostor" version of the identity. The same phrasing extends to secondary portions of the theme, but it all typically remains funk-inspired in instrumentation. The idea becomes a little tedious in that the same four notes repeat without much variation, and yet this phrasing doesn't reach out and grab your memory until you're actively listening to it. In these regards, it almost sounds like an orphaned counterpoint line. The theme is fragmented at 0:08 into "Defusing the Bomb," subdued on strings at 0:15 into "Man, It's Cold!," and mired in techno-suspense early in "Joyless" and throughout "Killian, The Hand." It turns fully cool in brassy jazz during all of "Yakuza Fight" and struts with militaristic stature at 0:43 and 1:01 into "Report to Langley," its cool grooves opening "Lance Meets Walter" as well. The theme exudes agony at 1:00 into "Lance is Accused," its second phrase nicely twisted upwards to suggest malice for the concept of mistaken identities, and is subtle in "What's Your Play" before busting out at 0:36 for two brief phrases.

From the point the heroes are on the run from their own masters in Spies in Disguise, the Sterling theme becomes muddier, especially as the pigeon twist takes hold of the music. Its notes are softly curious at the outset of "Test 83, Batch 5," struggle in the middle of "Unbird Me!," inform the wild funk of "High Speed Chase," and open "Kimura's Indoor Pool" in soft suspense with the woodwind-like bird effects. The proper form of the Sterling theme starts to emerge again in the middle of "Arriving in Venice" (with bird sounds over an accordion snippet), opens "Tux Redux" on victorious brass with resounding counterpoint, has a robotic burst early in "Next Gen Weaponry," and arrives with confidence at 2:38 into "Lance Saves Walter." The idea doesn't figure much into the post-climax cues in the score. Ironically, it's Walter's theme, and its association with his mother at the start of the story, that comes to define the score by the end. There are two parts to the theme, one of humorous rhythm to denote the character's inventiveness while the other is a long-lined melody of heartfelt intent, the innocent and sweet representation of his relationship with his mother. This idea is anchored around its initial three-note phrase of wholesome goodness, whereas the rhythm underneath is pleasantly plucked with a modern, synthetic touch. The rhythmic portion of Walter's theme is the catchier half in Spies in Disguise, occupying "Kiddie Glitter," opening "Walter's Promise," popping up at 0:29 into "Test 83, Batch 5," becoming somewhat frantic in the middle of "Epigenetic Modulation," and mocking the theme over bird call effects in "Antidote Success." The theme for Walter's heart is introduced at 0:24 into "Walter's Promise" on flute and builds to a heroic variant on brass at the end. The rhythm bubbles up with the melody at 0:49 into "Lance Meets Walter" before the latter adopts some of Sterling's Hammond organ style early in "Invisible." The theme itself transforms in the whole second half of "Unbird Me!" to a new, major fanfare mode, a sound that is reprised during a heroic moment early in "The Breadcrumb Defense." It returns to its pretty piano form (and later flute) early in "Arriving in Venice," faintly informs the conciliatory tone late in "Killian in Control," opens "Let's Get Weird" on flute (followed by the rhythm about a minute in), and flirts with heroism early in "Next Gen Weaponry" while informing choral majesty later in the cue.

Variants of the major action mode for Walter's theme continue in "Lance Saves Walter," a redemptive flourish for the theme at 2:06 presenting a fuller version before the rhythm makes a quick cameo near the end. Walter's theme opens "Spies in Disguise" on clarinet and then bird effects, achieving its own espionage flair at 0:48 as it dominates the end of the score. Related to this protagonist material is an associated five-note minor-third rhythm for general spy coolness that prevails in the middle of the work, bracketed on either end by a distinct theme for the H.T.U.V. organization. This underutilized and attractive idea opens "Report to Langley" with aspirations of being a noble Jerry Goldsmith theme, and it doesn't return with any impact until 1:15 into "Spies in Disguise" to close out the score with distinction. Meanwhile, the villain music for Killian is a bit of a mess in Spies in Disguise, its brutal, synthetic bass rhythm debuting under slappy percussion at the start of "Killian, The Hand" and recurring in the middle of "Killian Escapes." The minor phrases of this motif shift to higher brass fragments in middle portions of the score, the theme on top beginning to consolidate late in "Tux Redux." It returns at 0:34 into "Into Killian's Lair," turning obnoxious by the end, and the melody emerges on top during the hostility in the middle of "Killian in Control." The Killian theme explodes at 1:15 into "Let's Get Weird" and fights the heroic version of Walter's theme in "Next Gen Weaponry." There are a few ancillary motifs in the score, but none makes a huge impact. One sadly missed in much of the score is a sinewy phrase somewhat like David Arnold's theme for Quantum of Solace that is used in counterpoint to Sterling's theme in sneaking mode. It skulks at 0:09 and 0:16 into the electronically rambling "Joyless" and returns at 1:33 into "Arriving in Venice." In the end, though, these themes are frustratingly absent from clear development throughout the score, especially on the part of the villain. The 74-minute score-only album doesn't do it any favors, the highlights of the work easily condensed to twenty minutes that would best feature the two main theme sets. If you appreciate high style of espionage parodies, then Spies in Disguise will give you enough to work with for your own assembly of mood-building moments. But Shapiro has provided more cohesive narratives than this one in his career, leading with a flurry of humorously exotic, bird-like overlays to carry this pigeon to salvation.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download