FINDING DORY - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2016)

After being nominated for 13 Academy Awards and three Golden Globes, we are really hoping that composer Thomas Newman will be recognised with an Oscar soon (he did take home two BAFTAs, six Grammys and an Emmy Award, but nothing beats having the term “Academy Award winner” associated with your name right?.

If you are familiar with the 60 year old’s work, you would not be a stranger to how he creatively uses instruments to create a uniquely engaging soundscape. Some of our favourite scores composed by Newman include 1999’s American Beauty and The Green Mile, 2002’s Road to Perdition and 2004’s Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Newman returns to score the sequel to Disney Pixar’s hugely successful Finding Nemo (2003). In this sequel, the soundtrack brings back some familiar moments (“Kelpcake”, “One Year Later”, “Gnarly Chop”), but there are many more wondrous cues to check out in this 68 minute album (it’s been a while since we have enjoyed a CD with such a generous runtime).

After creating a otherworldly sense of awe with “Finding Dory (Main Title)”, Newman dives straight into the core of things with numerous brief but effective tracks. “Squid Chase” starts off mysteriously, but transits into a frantic chase action cue. “Nobody’s Fine” has an ominous feel initially, but surprisingly becomes a curiously engaging piece of music that brings to mind a detective searching for clues. “OpenOcean”, as the name suggests, brings you into the realm of a wide watery space and leaves you exploring its wonders.

Our favourite track on the soundtrack is “…Shells” (incidentally, it’s the longest cue at almost five minutes) – Newman displays his flair for leading listeners into a emotionally affecting state of things with simple instruments (near the three minute mark, where the cue swells into a fuller sound, is spot on).

The album may not leave you with many impressionable main themes (Sia’s cover of “Unforgettable” may be the closest thing you get to a radio friendly track), but upon repeated listening, you will understand why we hope Newman will be recognised with an Academy Award soon. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (25) …Shells 

Review by John Li