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The tone of Newman's The Little Things is largely electronic, applying droning synthetic layers to a variety of guitars and percussion, the latter representing some of the score's more interesting elements. There are string and woodwind contributions at times, though their applications could very well be synthetic in this case. Expect the organic textures to supply very little warmth outside of a few fleeting moments for the detectives. The composer attempts a jazzy noir appeal in how he stylizes his instrumentation and progressions in places, elevating the work beyond the worst of the genre's non-descript norms. There aren't well-defined melodies in a traditional sense, but there are indeed two motific explorations at play. The score opens with the prickly rhythmic ramblings for the suspect in the film, piano, guitar, and shaken percussion effects offering the character a slightly foreign sound for whatever reason. The full performances of this idea in "Chevy Nova" are reprised later in "I Won't Bite," though the descending motific line continues to inform chase cues. On the other side is a similarly repeated series of notes for the detectives, but Newman twists the progression to a more ascendant one, denoting some vague optimism. This idea really only receives notable treatment in the concluding trio of "End of the World," "Red Barrette," and "A Dead Girl Wakes." By the latter two cues, the detectives' motif accelerates into a loftier evolution of its core piano figures. While this isn't the type of score to attract a significant amount of intellectual appreciation, it's nice to hear Newman supply motifs for both the detectives and suspect that are interrelated four note cycles, likely as a nod to the psychological interplay in the story. The final fifteen minutes of the score is its most accessible, along with the oddly likeable "Reverend Captain" cue that brings woodwind tones into the work. Outside of these cues, as well as the two that really showcase the suspect's motif, the score for The Little Things has little to offer. At 55 minutes in running time on its album, expect to lose patience with the score after half an hour. The overall experience could be worse, as there is no cue from Newman here that is purely insufferable, but the mass of the underscore is disappointingly boring, struggling to maintain more than the most basic of depressing mood. While Newman collectors will recognize specific aspects of the score from his past, The Little Things shares surprisingly little DNA with the composer's lighter, airy atmospherics that use similar instrumental foundations. Have your happy pills ready.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Thomas Newman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.14 (in 37 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.18 (in 60,837 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 55:20