"Salt" - James Newton-Howard

Salt

Composed by: James Newton-Howard

Release date: July 20, 2010, on iTunes.

Amazon page: not available.

Amazon users rating: not available.

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All About Soundtracks Review:
Salt is a new action thriller, starring Angelina Jolie for more than obvious reasons. The score by James Newton-Howard matches what was expected for such a movie.
(Read more.)


There's not much more to say about a score that is so empty (restrained by the movie itself).
It mostly consists either of action bombastic cues or suspenseful tedious underscore. The action cues are a great deal of fun though. Newton-Howard creates a score that doesn't quite sound like him because he infuses a lot of style in the music, using electronic samples and electric guitars. Escaping the CIA and Chase Across DC are well constructed and structered in a Brian Tyler way. Others like Taser Puppet and Eight Floors Down bring all the style with the electric guitar bursts, and are actually pleasing.
There's something missing in this score though: there is not the usual James Newton-Howard main theme. Actually there are very few identifiable motifs in this score.
It's a score that lacks a defined, stong identity. Therefore, this is a pretty unmemorable score, despite being very entertaining sometimes. You'll not be revisiting this score for the rest of your life, but some cues might keep interested for the next weeks.
Fans of Howard's more traditional works will find rewarding the choir used in Barge Apocalypse and Go Get Em, the first half of You're My Greatest Creation, the soft piano at Not Safe With Me and the completely Howard-esque Destiny, which is string driven and has a good choral presence too.
Try to enjoy this stylish, fun, forgetable score.

Ups: full of style and exciting action cues, and even some more Howard-esque tracks.

Downs: definitely lacks an identity; the underscore ir boring and the rest sounds a bit generic.

Noteworthy tracks: Escaping the CIA, Chase Across DC, Destiny, Barge Apocalypse, Eight Floors Down, Go Get Em.

Score note: 5/10

Preview:
Track 15 - Eight Floors Down


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