Because the film's personality is conveyed in a somber tale of loss and revenge, Thomas Newman's score is no walk in the park. Not only was his aim to compose music to accompany the tragic events on screen, but to also illuminate the thinking of the primary character, a challenge in any such environment. Thus, his music for Road to Perdition is jumpy, unorthodox, melancholy, and colorful all in one. For enthusiasts of Newman's American Beauty style of unpredictable movement, Road to Perdition is surprisingly similar in its experimental rhythmic approach, but it is simply translated this time into a robust form for a full orchestral ensemble. The dark and consistently somber tone of Newman's work is balanced by a fascinating infusion of innovative instrumentation. His precise use of percussion and electronic accompaniment offers a touch of style to nearly every cue, and the ethnic hints meant to represent the characters' Irish-American roots play a strong role without becoming too obvious or burdensome. A wide range of soloists perform such instruments as the Uilleann pipes, low and high whistles, Irish bouzouki, pang glocken, hurdy-gurdy, sponge, and ewi, among countless others. More importantly, however, is the use of bass-heavy strings to help these elements achieve the necessary dramatic weight for the story. Newman, while often criticized negatively for his experimental minimalism in scores like In the Bedroom (which bordered on sound design rather than music), makes the best of his instrumental knowledge for Road to Perdition in several cues that literally crawl with a bizarre array of sounds and rhythms. As such, the score was a welcome relief for most of the composer's early collectors. The plucky rhythms often associated with Newman's trademark style helps introduce "Mr. Rance" and "Meet Maguire" with a strange, but effective combination of both humor and malice. A lazy, distant trumpet is a continuous reminder of the setting and time, keeping the score rooted just enough to its American noir locale. After the overtly prominent Irish tones in "Rock Island, 1931," most of the score is restrained to a level of eerie atmosphere that excels because of its unexpected organic warmth (more often than not).

In need of special recognition are the two or three frenetic action cues (including "Dirty Money" and "Shoot the Dead") that explode with Newman's talent for colorful rhythmic bursts. These optimistically choppy, but tense explosions of sound from mainly strings and percussion are the score's most extroverted side, and they were probably among the most interesting cues of Newman's career at the time. While the score is lacking in terms of memorable thematic development, several partially and slowly maturing ideas are woven deeply into the string performances that meander throughout the score (culminating in the concluding "Road to Perdition"). On the whole, Road to Perdition is a work that may sound somewhat simplistic and disappointingly restrained during a casual listen, but its ability to maintain a tightly dramatic emotional atmosphere of such seasoned depth should not be ignored. If Newman's knack for addressing the best in human character is indeed his compositional specialty, then maybe it's easier to both hear and enjoy that talent when he is given the diversity of a full orchestra and an ensemble of soloists. His music for Road to Perdition, while disturbing in its introspective and moody spirit, has several moments of harmonic beauty hidden in its ranks (including "The Farm," and "Cathedral"). The album for Road to Perdition features vibrant sound quality that allows the crisp precision of especially the robust rhythmic portions to be conveyed without the restrictions of many of the dull soundscapes of Newman's 1999 to 2001 efforts. The lengthy product offers a healthy dose of Newman's work (especially compared to his shorter releases of the period), as well as a handful of more lively jazz of the era from the likes of the Charleston Chasers, Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra, and Chicago Rhythm Kings. The scene in which Hanks and Paul Newman perform a piano duet on screen is included at the end of the album, too (and yes, the two of them are really performing that short piece). Between Newman's somewhat upbeat resolution in his final score cue and the Hanks/Newman duet, the album ends on a surprisingly warm note. Otherwise, Road to Perdition is a somber, though fascinating score that will appeal greatly to listeners who were eager for the composer's return to the dramatic depth of The Shawshank Redemption.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download