The Men Who Stare At Goats (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

iTunes Review

The British composer Rolfe Kent has been writing music for film and television projects since the ‘90s. He’s frequently collaborated with director Alexander Payne (Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt) and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the score he wrote for Payne’s Sideways. His pieces can nicely combine humor with mystery so it’s not surprising that he was picked to work on The Men Who Stare At Goats, a dark comedy helmed by Grant Heslov. “From Ann Arbor to War” features a nice combination of strums, marimba plinks, and sweeping strings while “Hitching a Ride/We Are Jedi” evokes a slice of exotica that could have graced a ‘60s thriller. Rumbling surf music drums drive “Gas Station Shootout,” which sports post-punk guitar, high-tension strings, and vaguely Middle Eastern sonorities. “Releasing the Goats,” the album’s longest cut, incorporates powerful horns and chugging rhythm guitar, and displays a grand orchestral sweep. The soundtrack’s final cue, “Writing the Story,” is a tasteful, low-key string arrangement of the movie’s theme.