Sony Music releases the soundtrack to Fargo: Year 4, with music by Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Russo. In 1950 Kansas City, the fourth installment of Fargo centres on two criminal syndicates who are fighting for a piece of the American dream and have struck an uneasy peace...

Quirky, mellow and diverse, Jeff Russo's score is integral in setting the scene for the TV series. However, as wonderful as it is on the show, it loses quite a lot when listened to in isolation. Stylistically the music is all over the place, which is a benefit on the show, but on its own merits it's rather jarring. If you're a fan of the series then you'll want to add this to your collection. However, casual soundtrack collectors might want to give it a listen first. The themes are more background ambient themes than they are memorable and engaging pieces of music.

There's elements of jazz that pop up from time to time and Carter Burwell's original theme from 1996's Fargo movie is referenced a handful of times. Pieces like 'Mayhem (Cannon)' illustrate perfectly the direction the score could have (and maybe should have) gone. However, what we end up with are a collection of pieces that don't really build or go anywhere.

Perfect for the show, just not overly entertaining to listen to outside of the series.

4

Darren Rea