Jocelyn Clarkelistens to John Powell's soundtrack to the newly released film by Kimberly Peirce, Stop-Loss.

JOHN POWELL
Varese
Sarabande
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With two scores already under his belt for 2008 - Horton Hears A Who!and Jumper- English composer John Powell completes an impressive hat-trick with his evocative new score for Stop-Loss.

Written for Kimberly Peirce's Iraq war-themed film, Powell's score weaves exquisite strings, roiling electric guitar, mournful trumpet, tender piano, brooding electronica and driving percussion with elegant melodic lines and sinuous polyrhythms to create an unusually dynamic and moving score.

Boldly contrasting its elegiac main theme, smoothly performed by John Lewis on trumpet (later echoed on solo piano performed by Powell) with more abrasive material for guitar and percussion (a fusion of southern rock and delta blues), Stop-Lossmoves effortlessly between muscular action and tender emotion.

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JOCELYN CLARKE

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