Jesper Kyd – Assassin’s Creed 2

Earth
Chimes and bells introduce you to the world of Ezio Auditore. The original “Assassin’s Creed” soundtrack was fine, in my memory, although I haven’t done a retrospective review yet. But Jesper Kyd really hit his stride in AC2. A lone female singer, Melissa Kaplan, starts accompanying the guitar strings, and it’s more appropriate to call this a rock song than a symphonic one at this point. But that does not diminish its quality. Other composers, take note on how to build a theme and a motif. It builds to a frenzied pace and tone until he gives you a little break before amping it up again. It’s bloody brilliant and deserves a better than 100% score. 6/5

Venice Rooftops
How can a song about rooftops be good? A guitar gently welcomes you onto the rooftops before a blazing rock band takes you further. It’s fast-paced and riveting. Unlike most filler tracks, this one is a great sound. A synthetic chorus fills the backdrop until a violin comes in and sweeps you off your feet and into the air. 5/5

Ezio’s Family
Let’s be clear. This is one of the best songs ever produced. Bar none. It’s that good. A soft intro via a guitar leads the way to Melissa Kaplan coming in to raise the action with an angelic voice. She continues this process over and over again until a violin comes in and complements her. And you know what… you can’t tell when her voice ends because the pitch is just so perfect. Kyd again increases the quality of the sound with just… magical notes. It’s so tough to describe perfection. Kaplan comes in for another round to finish the track out. But this time, instead of a violin, an electric guitar lets its throat be heard. It’s an exciting magical way to say hello to Ezio’s life. By the time the last minute hits, you’re on edge and you are ready to go. 7/5

Florence Tarantella
A more muted sound starts off before a guitar riff takes over again. A strings solo, likely a violin or perhaps a fiddle, complements the sound. It sounds a bit like an Irish anthem. 4.5/5

Home In Florence
Soft, xylophone-like sounds introduce you to Florence. It’s a light tone, but one that feels distinctly like an Italian home. After the introduction wears off, a slower tone takes over made up of strings. Melissa Kaplan comes in to round things out in lovely fashion. It proves that a track doesn’t need to be complex to be worthwhile. 4/5

Approaching Target 1
The thing about video game soundtracks is that you need a bunch of filler material that doesn’t add anything to the sound. This track is one of those pieces. There’s really nothing here of note in the first half, and then you get a glimpse of a kill to come as it continues. Still, its primary motive is to create tension, but it doesn’t make it a great listen. 1.5/5

Approaching Target 2
A soft strings piece starts this one off. There’s a background noise as well to fill the space between the notes. A piano rise gives way to a similar sound we heard in the previous song. But, unlike the previous song, there’s some substance here. A broad choir and swift strings section in the middle give it something of a little jolt. That being said, it’s still not a great listen. 2/5

Venice Fight
An electronic-sounding instrument starts this one off. The sound continues with electronic bit saber rattling, literally. It’s all very bland and uninspiring. 2/5

Florence Escape
The same disjointed electronic sound continues here. Again, it fits the source, but as an independent listen, it’s not compelling. It would fit well in a car chase as well. It’s drum-heavy, but drums alone do not make a cool track. 1.5/5

Tour of Venice
A different flavor from the previous three tracks. This one pulls in traditional orchestra elements and has something more to offer. It’s a little more haunting as well. The strings take longer to come back around, and Melissa Kaplan gives a little additional flavor as well. 3.5/5

Flight Over Venice 1
These Venice tracks have been uninspiring and bland. But not this one. Melissa Kaplan works with the strings and the guitar. The action starts off relatively calm, and I mean relatively in a relative sense. A frantic Spanish guitar sets the tempo and the broader electronic orchestra really comes into the fray. The action continues to build with Kaplan’s vocals creating an ethereal noise. Kyd provides a welcome near the middle, but then gets right back into the action for a wonderful finish. 5/5

Back In Venice
It sounds Middle Eastern in nature, or I guess a derivative of some Mediterranean sound that I’m not too familiar with. It’s a party vibe and a pleasant sound. 3.5/5

Dreams of Venice
At first, I didn’t know what to think of “Dreams of Venice.” It’s an odder sound, not a traditional track by any stretch. Yet, it utterly works. The male singer layered with Melissa Kaplan’s voice feels right at home and otherworldly. There isn’t much range to this track, but this is one of those rare ones that don’t really need a lot of dynamic range to be successful. 4.5/5

Home of the Brotherhood
A more omened tone takes hold here to start. The sound is basic and boring. There’s not a lot of range, nor is there anything to supplant that lack of range. It’s mostly filler music, even with the guitar that starts in the middle. 2/5

Leonardo’s Inventions, Pt. 1
A piano intro bids us hello to Leonardo da Vinci. There’s not a lot going on, but it’s a non-offensive sound. It’s just filler music. 2/5

Venice Combat Low
A more angry track from the get-go, the guitars come in blazing with a kazoo-like horn in the backdrop. It’s a generic battle track, and a boring one at that. There’s no range to the monotony. 1.5/5

Venice Escape
It starts off badly, and I thought it would continue to be bad. But then quickly too, it becomes more than a rock song. Kaplan sings a tale of risk here. Her voice exudes the sense of caution and danger. Kyd provides some range in this track, something that was sorely missing from the previous three, and allows for a break in the action, but only briefly. Kaplan swings back with heat. 3.5/5

Darkness Falls In Florence
More traditional orchestra sounds on this track. Hints of strings come and go, as Kaplan slowly makes her voice heard. It’s a Gothic sounding song, if anything. It’s an average song at best. 3/5

Sanctuary
A softer piano introduction here with no hints of a more brassy or boozy sound. A violin comes in to provide a pleasant tone. Kaplan also comes in swinging about halfway through to improve the bit. Kyd then lets a more standard orchestra sound fill the voids, quite nicely too. This track finds its voice. 4/5

The Madam
A showcase for Kaplan’s voice in this almost a cappella rendition of a theme. 4/5

Approaching Target 3
Kyd creates tension by a rhythmic drumbeat to start this one off, with hints of strings coming in and out of volume. It’s tribal in nature. There’s not a lot of value in the sound here. 2/5

Flight Over Venice 2
The second “Flight Over Venice” takes over where the first one left off. Kaplan lends her voice to this one again, and boy, it’s a winner. Kyd may be one of the best composers who can make “exciting” tracks. There are those who try by using noise vs volume, but Kyd understands how to build a rising action. The guitar strums with a light orchestra complement. It’s almost an identical sound to the first “Flight Over Venice,” so there’s not a lot to add. However, it’s just 2x the goodness. 5/5

Ezio In Florence
Another more gentle piece. It’s futuristic vibes meet the present with the way the guitar is presented in line with the strings. A very pleasant sound here, but doesn’t quite go to a 4-star rating. 3.5/5

Venice Industry
A gothic sound presents itself here. A very neutral, boring sound even with the chorus backing. It’s electronic synths mixed with a gothic choir. It’s not very good, at no point was I impressed with any part of it. 1/5

Stealth
Another basic sound here, albeit a bit better than the last track. Electronic synths presented in filler fashion equals filler music. 2/5

Venice Combat
Harder-hitting electronic sounds with somewhat of a theme and some range make this better than the last one, but it’s still not very good. Combined with the chorus, the word that comes to mind is dystopian. Again, good in context, but not good in a vacuum. 2.5/5

Notorious
A bass metronome doesn’t make this track worth listening to, or writing about. 1/5

Night Mission In Venice
A nicer sound without the boomy action of the combat pieces. It lulls into a mysterious fashion, but it’s a pleasant one. The strings and xylophone really take the stage here. 3/5

Chariot Chase
It’s rabble-rousing and fast-paced. An electric core with a strings backing and well-timed drums makes this one of the better action pieces on the album. The tension is really felt with how Kyd spaces the drumming out. The action is persistent but convincing. 3.5/5

The Plague
It sounds positively Gothic. Kaplan returns on this piece to provide an almost church-like complement. In terms of sound, there’s not a lot that happens here, but at least it’s a little diverse. 2.5/5

Wetlands Combat
Drums and guitar aplenty in another combat sequence. As with most of the other combat sequences, there’s not a lot of range of material. 1/5

Wetlands Escape
Another jarring track, but at least a semblance of an underlying theme makes an appearance here with Kaplan’s vocals adding to the Gothic atmosphere. Kyd does create tension and strategic pauses to the sound, but it’s designed to be repetitive for gameplay. Doesn’t help the listening experience. 2.5/5

Leonardo’s Inventions, Pt. 2
This one sounds very promising, almost “Harry Potter” like. Fluttering strings and a pleasant guitar provide a sound that’s worth listening to again. After the relative crap that transpired above, this is a welcome departure. Still, it’s a simple song that doesn’t have too much to offer in greater sound. 3.5/5

Hideout
A tense start to this one with a hint of something more complex via the guitar riffs. When the tone shifts a minute in, it lends itself to something a little more ambitious. Still, there’s not a lot of value in this piece, and it shows. 2.5/5

The Animus 2.0
Is it supposed to be suspenseful, or scary? There’s almost no music here, just whispers and a monotone backdrop. This track is useless. 0.5/5