'The Hunter' Soundtrack Review

Couldn't find the CD cover, but it looks like this.

Australian films scores are often brushed aside and forgotten about despite possessing impressive and beautiful works that rival scores of Hollywood blockbusters. Following my rekindled love of Australian music by Michael Yezerski, an acquaintance recommended I listen to the soundtrack of The Hunter, and I'm really glad I took her advice because the soundtrack is stunning.

The Hunter is nothing less than gorgeous, with the whole score emitting this serene candour which is stunningly evocative. Co-written by Matteo Zingales, Andrew Lancaster, and Michael Lira, the score of The Hunter is a subdued, but luscious and somewhat surreal through a hybridity of instruments with generated samples. If I had to compare to it any other score I would say it's in a similar sound to Desplat's score of The Painted Veil, Newman's piano work in American Beauty, and Jeremy Soule's score for Guild Wars: Factions. Note how incredible all those scores are, and then place this soundtrack right next to them.

The score is inspired, rendering an otherworldly and empyreal offering for the ears to enjoy. With the foundation of the score being created through beautiful chords produced with a string section, the sound is embellished by a lovely subtle piano in addition to some rhythmic percussion with superb and sensitive mixing which really draws out the emotion of the score. Various moods and elements are evoked through the arrangements, with the score overall flowing as a mellow and cohesive experience.

The whole score is lovely to listen to, but a few tracks are particularly noteworthy. The titular piece 'The Hunter' is wonderful, setting the tone for the rest of the album through its characterisation of a bitter-sweet chord progression that sounds both inspirational but devastatingly tragic (I also love the percussive interlude at the end). It's followed by 'David Martin' which plays in a similar vein with the entrancing strings painting the primary motif of the score. 'Lucy Armstrong' is utterly beautiful, with a lamenting tone evoked through an incredible swelling of the bass with the distant piano. The climax of the album can be heard with a flurry of strings on 'Where Are They Now?' which is simply breathtaking and inspiring. All the other tracks are great too, but I thought I should probably discuss some in detail.

The score for The Hunter is excellent, with some achingly beautiful music. It's not obnoxious and loud, but subtle, delicate and wonderfully colourful. I feel like I've gone around in circles describing the score because it's all so good I feel like I haven't described anything in detail. The team of composers in addition to their production company 'Sonar Music' have crafted an exquisite score that resonates and is inherently evocative. Australian composers on the move, I'm keen to hear their next offering.

The soundtrack for 'The Hunter' is written by Matteo Zingales, Andrew Lancaster, and Michael Lira, and is available on iTunes Australia for $16.99.