The still-ascendant Elfman went through a period in the middle to late 1990's during which he sought to shake the gothic fantasy mould that had defined his early orchestral career, and he thus seemed enamored with character dramas of a morbidly downbeat nature, highlighted by his early and classic score for Sommersby. In terms of its orchestral techniques and depressing mood, Dolores Claiborne is the lesser sibling to that 1993 work, absent any of the specialty instruments for location or a harmonious, melodramatic set of thematic structures. Elfman's music in the film is largely restrained, with the exception of a few exceedingly violent interactions between the maid and her husband, a tool of subtlety to mark distinctions between the two time periods. All of the creativity in wacky rhythmic and instrumental usage by Elfman is completely drained from Dolores Claiborne, leaving it an exceedingly somber accompaniment that produces its own set of challenges when attempting to define its identity. It is a score well respected by Elfman collectors for its integrity of spirit, consistency in disillusionment, interesting spanning of extreme tones at the outer edges of the treble and bass, and intelligent employment of strings, harp, and piano, but it, much like Extreme Measures the next year, nevertheless remains one of the composer's more difficult and potentially unappealing album presentations.The foundation for Dolores Claiborne is a weighty string section of the orchestra, with long lines explored by seemingly directionless players. (In reality, that are actually following simple, very elongated thematic progressions). Skittish violin accents true to Elfman's slightly more eccentric tendencies exist throughout the score as well, highlighting "Vera's World." Deep piano and timpani hits ground the score in the bass while brass only provides depth in long, often incongruous counterpoint roles. Occasional woodwind solos attempt to offer some warmth to the relationships in the picture but usually fail. Elfman's usual light choral touch punctuates the few moments of victory for the maid, eerily mystical during the conclusion of the "Eclipse" scene and settling the heart with a sense of resolution in "End Credits."

There is a primary theme for Dolores Claiborne, established in "Main Title" and a defining factor thereafter, though it takes so long for its deliberate progressions to unfold that listeners will have significant difficulty recalling it after the score has finished. This decision by Elfman was surely intentional, as it takes the entire picture for the audience to truly know and trust the characters. Not helping the melody is Elfman's tendency to reinforce his unsetting atmosphere by inserting occasional notes well outside of the already strained tonality of the theme. There are a few moments of outright dissonance or atonal force in the score, a few exploding with excessive volume, but there is a perpetual sense of unease that results from Elfman's frequent layering of slightly incongruous lines. Easier to remember from the score is a rising and falling four-note sequence usually performed on piano that extends out of the main theme and is applied as its own motif. An octave-spanning motif for piano and plucked strings contributes a touch of intrigue. Only in two scenes in the film does Elfman's score really assert itself in the mix, and, as mentioned before, both involve the domestic violence between the maid and her husband. The sudden burst of anger in "Getting Even," an incomplete version of which provided on the initial album, keenly balances tumultuous bass string rhythms and pounding piano with delicate chimes of music box tone. In "Eclipse," Elfman finally offers brass an interesting performance, allowing it to follow an almost Nightbreed-like chase sequence with rapping and tapping percussion and blurting a prominent, seemingly distorted set of figures. These two scenes are aided significantly by these cues in the film, though the rest of the score tends to wash away in the background of the many quiet dialogue scenes. It has been noted that international dubs of the film drastically increased the volume of Elfman's score, almost to distracting levels. The 1995 album from Varèse Sarabande offered a scant 30 minutes of music out of film order, but the label eventually atoned with a limited, 2-CD expansion in 2020 that includes the bulk of the score with three alternate takes. Expect this oppressive presentation to fill some voids in the narrative but challenge your patience with redundancy. The "End Credits" cue remains a strong suite representing the work. On either product, you have to respect Elfman's careful approach to Dolores Claiborne, but the experience could either bore or depress you with little reward.
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