Roque Baños – In the Heart of the Sea review

1) Arriving at Nickerson’s Lair
Embrace the ocean. This track starts off slowly, and nothing happens for a minute. A theme comes in afterward, and it rouses excitement but isn’t enough to make it memorable for a track. [Rating: 3/5]

2) Chase Walking Nantucket
Slowly building, this track energetically introduces a set of strings near the midpoint that brings out the swashbuckling mood in you. It’s good; it really is, but it doesn’t quite meet the mark of something I want to listen to over and over again. [Rating: 3.5/5]

3) Farewell
Roque Banos does a fine job creating a mood that would be excellent to fit a farewell in a film, but as a standalone piece, it just doesn’t have a lot of impact. The first half of the track is mediocre, but the second half is quite beautiful. I was originally going to give this track a 2.5/5, but the second half brings it up. [Rating: 3/5]

4) Young Nickerson
Our first introduction to a voice. A female singer comes in to set the tone against an energetic background. Sweeping strings harken to a future of excitement. However, in the end, nothing happens, and that’s disappointing. [Rating: 3/5]

5) Essex Leaving Harbor
It’s an exciting event, and it’s hard to overstate that one! The first track that provides a sense of real action and tension. Overall, it’s quite a lovely piece, and the themes flow extremely well. I’m a fan of this one and was torn trying to decide if I want to give it a 3.5 or a 4. In the end, I chose [Rating: 3.5/5]

6) The Knockdown
At 6 minutes long, it’s our introduction to our first epic within the soundtrack. Strings come firing within the first 20 seconds, and the themes continue to build flowing well, but darkness takes over around 2 minutes in. Banos then introduces lone woodwinds. I personally haven’t seen the film, but I imagine this is where they are trying to locate the whale. It evokes suspense. Soon, drums fill the picture as the tension heightens. From there, a mix of brass and strings maintains a steady pitch of tension. I am sure as a film track it works well, but as a standalone piece, it’s not something of traditional beauty. [Rating: 2.5/5]

7) Blows
Our second epic in the track, at 7 minutes long, this one begins with a fury that has been hinted at in prior tracks. The brass screams out a battle to be won with a steady drumbeat filling the background. Banos does a phenomenal job creating a tense environment as the track weaves in and out of high energy. It ends with a lovely female vocalist that screams sorrow, and I feel for those who are now floating in the abyss. Again, I’m trying to determine if this track is a 3.5 or a 4. It’s got flashes of greatness, and the ending just pops it up. [Rating: 4/5]

8) A Thousand Leagues Out
Banos brings back the flutes and the woodwinds in this piece that stirs images of islands inhabited by locals. In reality, that’s what happened to the crew of the Essex, but this piece would fit well as an introduction to the locals in Pocahontas. A completely second half takes over, and with an exploratory feel, just as it tapers off. [Rating: 3/5]

9) Lower Away
Again, I never saw the film, so I have to imagine what is happening during the tracks. It’s clear either a battle or preparations for a battle are commencing. Pleasant yet repetitive strings create an image of men frantically running around getting ready for an upcoming onslaught. Then, halfway through, a lull in the music to create tension with background instrumentation just barely noticeable, but it’s there, and you know it. You know something is there. Drums slowly introduce more volume and more heat, and then taper again. This pattern repeats itself, and Banos expertly creates a great mood here. [Rating: 3.5/5]

10) The Attack
It begins, with high-pitched strings and drums timed to your heartbeat. Then suddenly, a hit, and the game is on. A generic yet enjoyable battle track with heavy brass and drums, nothing truly stands out to make this one worthy. It finishes with some light strings and woodwinds to set another somber tone. However, as a film track, I’m sure it did a phenomenal job setting the tone in the movie. [Rating: 2.5/5]

11) Abandon Ship
Our 3rd epic, and this one is majestic. Just majestic. Strings and brass come in almost immediately and start crying to you. Not in a terrible sense, but rather something terrible has happened. They continue escalating as well in a wonderful fashion. Banos does an excellent job conveying loss and tragedy. As far as comparables go, it reminds me of the ending of “Shenzen” by Steven Price (Gravity), with a sense of longing that only the greatest tracks can produce. I can’t stress how much of a masterpiece this track is. It’s a perfect example of something you hear and you think “oh my god, they are going to die.” The track finishes with somber strings singing a eulogy to some past, a perfect finish. [Rating: 5/5]

12) Separations
A piano with sad, slow keys introduces us to “Separations”. Other instruments come into to complement the piano in this soft, slow piece. This track is the first dedicated track to sadness so far in the album. A female vocalist reintroduces herself about halfway in this piece, adding onto the sense of loss. What else can really be said, it just works. [Rating: 4/5]

13) Stand Off
In immediate contrast to “Separations,” “Stand Off” starts tense and just keeps going. One of the central themes takes back over about halfway through, and it works well. For a brief moment, I wanted to give it 4 stars, but it’s also not quite there. It’s just a little off. [Rating: 3.5/5]

14) Homecoming
Two minutes in and nothing happens, but then our lovely female vocalist reintroduces herself. She sings a song of sadness and longing and is clearly trying to tell a story. Her voice gets supported by strings, in an almost Shawshank Redemption vibe of hope and redemption. Our travelers from the Essex have done terrible things and seen terrible things, but their journeys are coming to peace. It continues to improve as well and turns into one of the surprises of the album (given how it started). [Rating: 4.5/5]

15) Story Is Told
The theme from “Homecoming” continues in this piece as it opens slowly again. And I’m not complaining. As a standalone piece, it’s great. A hint of other themes flows in and out of the song, and that sense of longing that Banos has created is fully felt. [Rating: 4.5/5]

16) The White Whale Chant
Another masterpiece here. When given the script and the film to create something magical, Banos creates. His ability to create an emotional masterpiece cannot be understated. Our familiar female vocalist comes in again, but this time adds both sad and heavenly elements. It fades into softness, and that sense of longing that has been so persistent throughout the score. [Rating: 5/5]

17) Meeting Old Nickerson
A haunting piece pierced by slow jabs on a piano; this piece does an excellent job creating a sense of regret. It’s not complicated, but it works. [Rating: 3.5/5]

18) The Second Attack
The first half of the song passed, and I wasn’t even aware. The second half isn’t much better. It’s clear that the intent is tension, and it works well as the second part comes in with what sounds like electric guitars (but they’re not, I’m not sure what it is). The tension builds with strings, and then it fades away into the ocean. [Rating: 3/5]

19) Lost at Sea
My best guess is that this track worked extremely well if the characters were indeed lost at sea. As an independent piece, there’s not a lot going on, so I’m not too excited about it. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s also not good, and nobody’s life is improved by listening. [Rating: 1.5/5]

20) Desert Island
The strings make a comeback, and in a good way. The strings then give way to the same sense of isolation that we heard in “Lost at Sea,” but not in a bad way. A little more diversity of sounds comes in as well. With the strings now disappeared about halfway through, the sounds of a desolate ocean take back over. Hints of an aggressive string response come in, a la “Jaws,” but it’s temporary and not nearly as impactful. [Rating: 2.5/5]

21) Finding the Dead
Another not very good song. In fact, there’s really nothing good about this piece at all. I’m going to delete it from my personal collection. [Rating: 0.5/5]

22) End Credits
Ahh, the end credits, where composers can really flex their muscles. At just over a minute long, the end credits here are…fine? The movie just ends, disappointingly. [Rating: 3/5]