Milan Records, an imprint of Sony Music Masterworks, release the soundtrack of Spell with music by member of Fall Out Boy, Patrick Stump. Following the unexpected death of his fiancee, an American illustrator embarks on a soul-searching journey across the isolated Icelandic countryside, only to be drawn into a supernatural world of ancient runes and secrets - unless it's all in his head...

Patrick Stump dives right in at the deep end with his score for Spell. Thematically rich and varied, it feels like the composer had a lot of freedom to explore the story of the movie through his music. It works wonderfully as a standalone collection off themes too, not for one second getting stuck in a rut or relying too heavily on a main theme.

There are some wonderfully fun pieces here. 'Scenic Route' is a loving homage to '80s cinema scores. Complete with drum machine, synths, audio hiss, too loud bass that distorts the sound. Meanwhile 'Runebuggy' is an atmospheric, creepy piece. And who would have thought that the frenetic rock style of 'With My Bare Hands' would work beautifully as it's juxtaposed with the classical piano piece 'Polonaise du Medecin'.

Stump really does deliver the goods here. If you're after a diverse and engaging score then you've found it in Spell.

9

Darren Rea