Stuart Hancock's original score for Kensuke's Kingdom is released via MovieScore Media. Young Michael, shipwrecked on a remote island, must adapt to life alone. Over time, he feels another presence, learning that this world is home to both unimaginable danger and beauty...

Whenever I see Stuart Hancock's name attached to a project my heart skips a beat and I feel a slight frisson. Why? Because I know, almost certainly, I'm going to have an incredible listening experience. Thankfully his work on Kensuke's Kingdom is no exception. In fact... I'm tempted to go all out and state this could be his most rewarding score to date. Personally, I found his original classical music album Raptures to be his most impressive work to date... But when it comes to his soundtrack work Kensuke's Kingdom isn't far behind.

Again, as I've championed in the past, there are massive nods to both the work of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith in a lot of Hancock's work - which is probably why I love this album so much. But I also caught a flavour of Christopher Young's work on Hellraiser and hints of, one of Michael Kamen's final scores, Back to Gaya.

Thematically this is an interesting score. There are a number of beautifully melancholic themes that are woven throughout the album's 31 tracks (1 hr, 13 min, 46 sec) and it's multi-layered enough that you'll need numerous listens to really appreciate the intricacies and nuances of both the writing and performing. I have been listening to this almost non-stop since receiving it for review and I still only really feel comfortable claiming that I am familiar with it... but not intimate.

I have a playlist where I add the occasional track that I really like when I am reviewing scores. For Kensuke's Kingdom I was forced to add each and every track - something I very rarely do.

I love Hancock's work here. I joy to listen to each and every second. Do yourself a favour and check out his back catalogue. He's one of the finest composers working today with an incredibly diverse body of work.

10

Darren Rea