La-La-Land Records in conjunction with WaterTower Music, release Blake Neely's score for the documentary film Serena.

Bearing in mind that the documentary is designed to be an intimate look into the life of tennis superstar and successful businesswoman Serena Williams, composer Blake Neely does an incredible job at making the soundtrack so attention grabbing.

Filmed between 2015/2016 the film provides an insight into the on and off-court pressures that come with being the world's top-ranked player, which includes close-up glimpses into her life as a designer and businesswoman, not just an athlete, it's a testament to Neely's skill as a composer that he didn't settle for bland, background cues.

What Neely delivers here are some intricate and impressive themes that cover a whole range of emotions and musical styles. Over the course of these 18 tracks (52 min, 58 sec) we get a little closer to knowing Williams. From the opening 'Serena', which sounds like the theme to a super hero TV series; to the closing 'Still I Rise', the composer never lets up in the pure energy injected into each track.

Documentary scores can be very hit and miss, but I'm glad to report that Neely serves ace after ace here.

8

Darren Rea