Mark Isham – October Sky

Coalwood
A sad violin or viola solo brings us into the world of 1960s West Virginia, in the town of Coalwood. For what it’s worth, October Sky is a brilliant film that is even more brilliant when you learn most of it actually happened. Mark Isham creates an incredibly sentimental score in this one, one of hope and failure. As for “Coalwood,” it’s a wonderful listen and worthy of anyone’s time. 5/5

Sputnik!
It’s a fine piece, but there’s not a lot of depth in this one. It passes the time beautifully, but somehow it doesn’t really take it away. 3.5/5

Rocket Book
Another steady but gorgeous piece. The mark of a good composer is when to use silence to your advantage. The violin solo really helps bring this one together. 4/5

Search for Auk 13
It’s a more somber affair to start this track off, but a minute in it quickly changes tone to something you’ll hear in a video game as you scamper through the woods. It’s very light-hearted and very easy to listen to, but the complexity just isn’t there. It somehow lacks the emotional feeling that we’ve gotten with the violin here. 3.5/5

I Was Lucky to Know Him
Another somber affair, it’s a slower piece. The full orchestra takes a part here, minus the drums, but they’re not blasting you with noise. As far as information in the piece, it’s lacking in real depth. 3/5

It’s a Thing of Glory
Our violin returns in a dignified fashion. Buttressed by the rest of the strings, the emotion of the piece is incredibly present. As the track progresses through a minute, the sheer sense of accomplishment lifts you up. Simple is good here. 5/5

I Won’t Shed a Tear
There’s less range to this piece, but with a title like “I Won’t Shed a Tear,” you know something wrong has happened. It’s designed to fill a mood, a tone. The apprehension that Isham brings to the movie is well felt, but in a vacuum, the track falls flat. 3/5

The Black Phone
Another track with no real information. At least there are variations in tone. 1/5

The Dreams of Boys
Why don’t more composers just use violins to draw out how you feel? Isham’s use of the violin here is nothing short of amazing. Any high schooler with a couple of years of experience could play this piece, yet it just works so well. With a minute left, there’s a new sound we haven’t heard before, something in the background providing visions of hope via almost jingling. Only its ending is less than ideal with a pretty boring outro. 4.5/5

Cape Coalwood
It’s short but again, not a lot of information. 2.5/5

Miss Riley
How do you deal with inevitable failure and sadness? Isham’s answer is a drawn-out violin that removes any semblance of the hope that previously existed. But for a topic of so much depth and potential drama, this track is sorely lacking in it. 2.5/5

Splitting the Sky
It’s a gorgeous sound, uplifting and powerful. It’s familiar as well, but my goodness it just works so well. As you listen to it, you can’t help but love it. 5/5

I’ll Be Gone Forever
It’s got a surprising amount of emotion for something less than a minute long. It’s not amazing, but it carries its weight well. 3.5/5

Range and Altitude
A more western take on the main theme we’ve been throughout this very short album. It’s almost like you’re a rancher riding your horse across the plains; it’s got a little sense of a jingle to it. 3.5/5

Rocket Boys
It’s the title track, but you wouldn’t know it unless you rearranged the characters. It’s everything this movie is about in a single go. All of the pain, the death, the heartbreak, and the hope need to be a part of what this track is; because that’s what the boys have experienced. Isham uses the woodwinds to play a part in creating a more uplifting piece, but one still with shadows of loss. The harp plays a supporting role for the first time I’m noticing in this album. As the track lifts and lifts, you feel what was intended by the moment. 4.5/5

This One’s Yours
Break out the tissues; it’s the emotional culmination. The same theme that I’ve grown to love returns with the violin taking its toll. It’s just lovely. 5/5

October Sky
It’s another title track, but this time you know it. The credits are usually where composers are allowed to break out their creative muscle. The violin returns again with the same somber yet uplifting solo that we’ve heard all day. I’m not complaining. It’s the kind of music that could be used as a bride walks down the aisle, or a man is carried in his casket. The range in which Isham has created this music is remarkable given that his scope was so limited in terms of instrumentation and noises. I absolutely love this piece and how it ends. 5/5