On the surface, Elfman's genre-bending bombast for Wanted may seem either unorganized or overwhelming in its tone. Indeed, for some listeners, these characteristics will prove too irrational at times and yield a headache. The mid-section of Wanted, while maintaining loyalty to Elfman's constructs, does wander off course at times. But that doesn't account for the fact that Elfman's journey in this score, while unpredictable in its application of predictable sounds, is quite intelligently rendered even in its most flamboyant portions. It is a thinking man's blend of rock and orchestra, a presentation of processed sounds that not only function in this context, but are, at the very least, interesting to behold. The primary theme for Wanted is a vaguely Russian piece that revolves around one surprisingly elegant phrase that repeats in creative spurts to form continuous harmony at times. Heard almost immediately in "Success Montage," this theme's most intriguing performances are often carried by solo oboe or other unexpected instruments; the last minute or so of "Rats" is particularly clever. An electric guitar motif for the primary character is joined by two ideas for Jolie's persona, the first a mean ostinato on low strings and the latter a yearning piece for female vocal effects and, oddly, a duduk. The ostinatos that Elfman employs (and especially those that smoothen out into straight pounding) are perhaps a carry-over from the popular employment of that technique by Hans Zimmer, but without Zimmer's overbearing, droning bass mix, Elfman's equivalent in Wanted is strikingly sharp. It's tempting to say that the employment of vocals and duduk is a reprise of a sound that went awry in Hulk, but Elfman's handling of the sound here produces extremely attractive tones in "Fox's Story" and "Fox's Decision" without resorting to bland, over-generalized harmonics. The motif for the primary character is equally deceptive, actually based upon a four-note motif from Elfman's rock song "The Little Things" that accompanies the picture. Several diversions from the norm for typical orchestral and synthetic action blends include smart employment of the electric guitar as Jerry Goldsmith would have done, as one member of the ensemble rather than a standout solo piece. Electronica loops and pre-recorded percussion rhythms are applied in ways not unfamiliar to Graeme Revell's industrial sounds (though in lighter variations, both David Arnold and Craig Armstrong music will come to mind). A slight retro synthetic effect in "Exterminator Beat" is joined by straight forward wailing electric guitar blurts in "Revenge."

The processed sound of the guitar and loops utilized by Elfman is countered by the composer's typically morbid sense of melodrama coming from the orchestra, though late in "The Train," one of the synthetic loops does suggest the worst effects of indigestion. Another unique element in the music for Wanted is Elfman's handling of the secret society, which receives neo-classical treatment in "Fraternity Suite" complete with clanging metallic sounds of austere, religious importance and deep, fluid Latin chanting from a male chorus. This sound, led by forceful string chops that remind of Zimmer's Backdraft, only partly evolves at the end of "Welcome to the Fraternity," one of the score's unfortunate missteps. A reprise of mixed choral tones at the end of "Fox's Decision" is a more familiar vocalized Elfman sound. After all the frantic movement and practical wall of sound heard in the action music in Wanted (often reaching the density of Hellboy II: The Golden Army), the redemption for some listeners will come in the final three cues, utilizing high strings (as a replacement for the synthetic elements) to create a more organic sense of direction and resolution to the score. In "Fate," Elfman even builds the ostinato and chopping motif into a bold crescendo not unlike many of his other superhero scores. A lack of prominent role for the flowing title theme in this closing cue is a disappointment. As a listening experience, Wanted does need to be divided into its components, for it contains material that will appeal to both Elfman's contemporary Mission: Impossible fans and those who long for the composer's morbidly tragic melodies from the early 1990's. With the five or six most hyperactive action tracks removed from the presentation, a very strong and harmonious collection of the ethereal and more conservatively determined material will result. Otherwise, Wanted, like Men in Black, may be a little too spread all over the musical landscape for some listeners. An added treat is Elfman's own rock song original to the film; "The Little Things" not only gives his vintage fans a chance to hear his voice in its original context, but the song defies categorization in any subgenre of rock music, giving Wanted a hard-nosed but distinct sound to extend its muscle outside of the underscore. In the end, Wanted is an admirable score with many highlights, though Elfman's attempt to draw his ideas into a cohesive evolution falls short in a few key places. It's a hell of a romp, though, and any formula film should count itself fortunate to have such richly textured and interesting twists on the norm in its music.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download