Brian Tyler’s career has been on fast-forward ever since he blew onto the scene with his popular score for Children of Dune, the television adaptation of the acclaimed science-fiction book series.
Since winning wide recognition for that score, a rich, melodic work with awe-inspiring themes and a dignified ethnic beauty, Tyler has received many opportunities to score high-profile films, including Timeline, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Constantine, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Partition, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, Rambo, and Bangkok Dangerous.
In each case, he has shown himself to be a composer with a profound gift for stirring melody and bombastic rhythmic activity. His scores shake the walls with their vibrant energy, and the Eagle Eye soundtrack is certainly no exception.
Eagle Eye Score
The score opens with a subdued passage for low strings which hints at the main theme before evolving into a churning, rhythmic suspense motif, giving way to the first full statement of the theme by low brass, the percussion growing more and more insistent. Then, in ‘Eagle Eye Main Title,’ the music erupts into a full-throated statement of the main theme, relentless in its sheer size and power, and only occasionally subsides during the remainder of the album.
The main theme shows strong similarities to Hans Zimmer’s Crimson Tide and Trevor Rabin’s Armageddon, but Tyler gives his theme so much variation in tone and tempo that it is easily distinctive. His muscular development of the theme through all sections of the orchestra is admirable, as is his layering of the theme with many different rhythms and harmonies to create an intriguing musical palette, unusual for typical action scores.
Intelligent Orchestration: Tyler as a Film Composer
That the music has such force is no surprise: Tyler is a man thus far committed to intelligent use of live orchestra, and only utilizes synthesized elements when they contribute to (instead of dominate) the overall target sound of the score.
The thunderous percussion section resounds with a power rarely heard in modern action music, and the low strings percolate with a chopping restlessness behind growling brass statements of theme. Tyler’s chord progressions and instrumentation are not particularly distinctive, but his intelligent layering of orchestra sections and smart integration of low-key electronics give his scores an organic life and energy not often heard in synth-dominated scores.
The action music is almost continuous during the 77-minute running time of the commercial album, but it is not devoid of warmer, more subtle moments. ‘Honor’ delivers a moving, lovely rendition of the title theme on solo trumpet (and later cello), while ‘Loss of a Twin’ does the same with a warm piano arrangement (a long reprise of the final moments of ‘Ariia’). A few groovy rock elements also work their way into the album, with ‘Copyboy’ and ‘Eagle Eye End Title’ providing some light-hearted contemporary moments.
Summary
Other highlights include ‘Clutch Then Shift,’ perhaps the most powerful chase cue, and the quietly awesome ‘Ariia.’ The action music, though very generously provided on the album, is neither overbearing nor tiresome. Its easy chord patterns and memorable themes, coupled with a thick orchestral stratum, give it a distinctive balance between substance and elegance.
Overall, the score for Eagle Eye is a treat for fans of driving action music, made all the better with its tasteful instrumentation and eminently hummable themes. As usual for a Brian Tyler album, there is a very generous amount of music available commercially, and the tracks, though not in film order, are arranged to provide a streamlined listening experience. Fans of the composer and of bombastic orchestral might will not want to hesitate to procure a copy. Highly recommended!
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