While this fresh batch of clones, most of whom are relatively new names on the Zimmer scene, don't cause the score for The Holiday to become as fragmented as you might expect, some might claim to hear occasional identity problems with the work. The ensemble consists of the usual Los Angeles string and woodwind sections and a handful of soloists for flair on trumpet, piano, voice, and guitar. Thematically, the score offers two easily identifiable themes, neither of which groundbreaking, but presumably representing the two leading ladies. Perhaps not surprisingly, the best cues on album are "Maestro" and "Kiss Goodbye," both of which making vibrant use of Morricone's theme from Once Upon a Time in America and leading it to some Heitor Pereira touch on guitar. Pereira's performances never gain the momentum they had in Spanglish, understandably, and with the vocals in The Holiday playing only a minor role, there's a lack of outward flair in The Holiday that makes it a rather pedestrian score. Zimmer does counter with a charming sense of jazz, embodied best by his tribute cue to the director, "For Nancy." For Zimmer purists, only two cues (amounting to about seven minutes) were written solely by Zimmer, including the snazzy opening and the light rock-inclined "Definitely Unexpected." The remainder of the score is mostly fluff on strings, piano, and guitar, rarely raising to a substantial volume or pronouncing its themes with any exuberance. The less anonymous cues are unfortunately the weaknesses of the album, with the two source-like vocal cues in the middle, "Verso e Prosa" and "Meu Passado," breaking the easy flow of the underscore. The final two cues offer some fuller performances by the ensemble and a modern bass effect. Fans of Zimmer's early works from the 80's will enjoy the matured contemporary sound of "Cry." The juggling act of composers can be heard in a few places on the album, with even the best and most subtle fades sometimes betraying the transition from one composer's ideas to another. But, on the whole, The Holiday is a free-flowing, light-hearted, and easy score with little substance and no worries, confirming that much of Zimmer's most enjoyable music these days comes in non-synthetic forms.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download