Milan Records releases the soundtrack for Apple's Dickinson, with music by Drum & Lace and Ian Hultquist. The series explore the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson...

Drum & Lace have a knack of delivering unique and technically flawless music for every project they tackle. And, heard inside the show, I'm sure that it works well to add another dimension to the onscreen images. But their compositions are something that I've never managed to get much enjoyment out of as standalone projects.

Listened to in isolation, this just feels like a collection of music cues, designed to be slotted into various scenes as and when necessary. It doesn't have the air of music composed specifically for certain parts of the show. It's also, pretty much, instantly forgettable. Even the 'Main Theme' is just a cacophony of electronic noise - you won't be humming this any time soon.

I'm not sure if composer Ian Hultquist worked closely with Drum & Lace, collaborating on all tracks, or if they tackled separate themes. But, to be fair, it all pretty much blends together.

This isn't really a score that will be enjoyed by the average collector of soundtracks. If bland, generic electronic music is your thing you'll get something out of this. Everyone else should steer clear.

3

Darren Rea