Lakeshore Records release the original score for Room. The movie tells the extraordinary story of Jack, a spirited 5 year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted Ma. Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical - they are trapped- confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space, which Ma has euphemistically named “Room.” Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack’s curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma’s resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world...

Stephen Rennicks delivers some heartbreakingly beautiful themes, but presents them in a way that may surprise you. 'The Mighty Rio Grande' is one of this album's highlights, but when it's taken apart all it's really comprised of is a cacophony of cymbals and a simple guitar melody. The end result is quite magical.

The album contains 22 tracks (45 min, 29 sec), with highlights including the aforementioned 'The Mighty Rio Grande'; 'Cops'; 'End'; and 'New End'. In fact 'New End' reminded me a lot of Howard Shore's scores for Mrs. Doubtfire and Big.

It's a beautiful, subtle, little score that is well worth investing in.

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Darren Rea