Tyler's return to the franchise for Furious 7 comes as he has truly made a new name for himself in the Marvel universe of motion pictures, and it's important to remember that his music for these Fast & Furious films is an entirely different breed, one less orchestrally dominant and defined more by his tinkering with meters and electronic sound effects to yield the propulsion and mechanization the concept demands. The renewed character development in the arc of the narratives allows Tyler to continue to explore ideas he previously established in the franchise. For most listeners, this continuity will be supplied by the staccato line of descending blasts that only needs its first three notes to really define the theme in context (look for this theme to start promptly at about 0:30 into "Furious 7" and close out "One Last Stand"). The remainder of the themes that Tyler carries forth are not as flashy, nor are they as memorable. The acoustic guitar material for the familial relations, joined by innocuous strings that unfortunately sound as watered down as the typical samplings by a Hans Zimmer clone, doesn't really last in the memory as it could, the exceptions being the better engaging "When Worlds Collide" and "Letty and Dom." Such generally unremarkable harmonic interludes ("Remembrance" is a good example in this score) serve their purpose but stand firmly in the background, never attempting to really pack the kind of emotional punch certain situations could use. This restraint may serve the film adequately, but on album, cues like "Awakening" and "Homecoming" have to be considered disappointing. That leaves the action sequences and moments of unique style, the latter exemplified by little accents here and there (vague Arabic vocals in "God's Eye" and exhaled vocal pointers in "Hobbs is the Cavalry," the latter perhaps unintentionally humorous). The chase scenes are challenging to handle in part because they have to function around the sound effects as Tyler seemingly opts to avoid competing with some of the loudest moments of effects. Likewise, the chase sequences are so lengthy that he had to employ unusual meters to allow the rhythms to survive for long periods without simple, unsustainable tempo increases. Almost all of these sequences feature a return to the significant electronic effects that existed in Tyler's first two scores in the franchise, some of them truly obnoxious. Many of these sounds and their manipulation, including those immediately heard in "Furious 7," will be intolerable to the ears of those who attempt to appreciate Tyler's orchestral and rhythmic emulation of the great Jerry Goldsmith. Patience of such listeners will be tested additionally by the brutally long album presentation, which is great to have in many ways but will not impress those seeking Tyler's better symphonic representations. His "Fast and Furious" work is admirably workmanlike, though, and it continues to succeed for its intended purpose.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download