Brian Tyler’s career is an increasingly impressive one, and certainly an increasingly busy one. In 2008 he wrote scores to Rambo, Bangkok Dangerous and Eagle Eye; and in 2009 alone, he has already composed scores to three films, including The Lazarus Project, Dragonball: Evolution, and now Fast & Furious.
A master at increasing the heart rate of the average theatergoer, Tyler’s music is never restrained or hidden; it is always very prominent in its role, and it always succeeds in its role. And in Fast & Furious, that role is to enthrall and excite the audience while expressing the sheer “coolness” of the story and characters.
And once again, Tyler succeeds. Fast & Furious is as enthralling and stylishly cool as any score we’ve heard from him, and is truly a worthy addition to any action music collection.
Powerful, Stylish Score for Fast & Furious
The score begins with “Landtrain,” a cue which is worth the price of the album by itself as it begins with pulsing synth and orchestral grooves, quietly at first, then building into an overwhelmingly satisfying action powerhouse.
The structure and narrative power of this cue alone (not to mention its fantastic instrumental depth, style and clarity) is stunning, and sets the tone perfectly for the remainder of the album, which itself has wonderful surprises around every corner.
One such surprise is the title track, “Fast and Furious,” which comes immediately after the aforementioned “Landtrain.” Sporting a synth/rock groove reminiscent of David Holmes’ Ocean’s music and James Newton Howard’s recent score to Duplicity, Tyler weaves together the notions of speed and style with amazing effectiveness.
Suprisingly Tender Moments in Fast & Furious Soundtrack
Another surprise is the wonderfully tender, acoustic guitar-led “Letty,” a notably passionate theme with subtle synth accents that has an almost hypnotic air of warm mystery. The atmosphere is reprised to very attractive effect in “Amends,” “Vaya Con Dios,” “Brian and Mia,” “Fate,” and "Memorial," with the softer nature of these cues being a perfect balance to the sheer thunder of the many knockout action cues.
Typical Brian Tyler Soundtrack Album
Also as usual for a Brian Tyler album, it is quite long (over 78 minutes!), and sequenced to create the best possible listening experience, which means many tracks are sequenced out of film order. For some listeners, this may prove irritating, but the album is truly well structured and well-balanced, never becoming tiresome in its energy or overbearing in its action before things slow down and a more meditative tone is adopted.
Summary
This is a score slathered with everything that makes Brian Tyler's music so entertaining. As with Eagle Eye and Dragonball: Evolution, it is not a score which breaks into new stylistically for the composer, but somehow he manages to keep this sound fresh and continually interesting, and above all continually entertaining.
Perfect balance of live orchestra and percussion with tasteful synthetic elements, memorable themes, stylish tone, marvelous action cues and generous album presentations continue to make Brian Tyler one of the most reliably engaging composers at work, and Fast & Furious is a wonderful example of all these traits. It comes enthusiastically recommended!
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