Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol (Original Television Soundtrack)

Album Review

With the rebirth (reincarnation, rather) of the outrageously popular sci-fi series Doctor Who on the BBC, there comes (of course) the soundtrack. This time out, Murray Gold mans the TARDIS' stereo controls and, with the help of accomplished orchestrator Ben Foster, offers up some of the best music the series has ever had. From the tasteful reworking of Ron Grainer's ubiquitous theme music to the Walker Brothers-channeling tracks by the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, this collection of music absolutely nails the vibe and style that make Doctor Who such an enduringly popular series. There are times when Foster seems to borrow a bit heavily from the doom-and-gloom choruses of the latter three Star Wars prequels (see "The Daleks" for some serious Anakin angst drama), but this hits the mark nonetheless. ~ J. Scott McClintock, Rovi