Unlike Lakeshore’s prior Tyler Bates albums, Super features about a third score and two-thirds source songs, making this album more of interest to Bates completists. Most of the 7 cues tend to hover around the 1 min. mark, and they’ve been sequenced in between songs as moody transitional or buffer cues – which is fine for those wanting a blend of score & songs.

Bates’ score is designed to fit snugly between the film’s songs, and the represented album cuts tend to stay within a soft rock, acoustic guitar realm. The score’s central theme, “Two Perfect Moments,” is an original vocal track that adopts a bopping rhythm, silky female vocals, and guitar riffs, but the piece’s most alluring element is the background vocals which are aligned with chiming tones, hand claps, and a giddy backbeat.

The remaining score cues are more delicate, mood-oriented pieces. “The Prayer” offers gentle electric guitar, chamber strings, and ambient tonal shimmering, whereas “Finger of God” is a crescendo of religious vocals set to a march, and Bates introduces a retro synth tone which warps into sky-bound peaks. “Libby Goes Down,” the longest score cut at 5 mins., recaps the march with a harder, grander use of orchestral might, and the cue’s notable for the careful emulations of vintage synth sounds which span strings, revolving figures, and the aforementioned tonal drone that’s reminiscent of Vangelis’ vintage electronic gear.

The Nomad’s mostly instrumental track “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear Black” closes the album, and it’s the lone song that’s best in-lined with Bates’ score, but with roughly 17 mins. of score in a 49 mins. album, this release will have limited appeal towards hard-line soundtrack fans.

© 2011 Mark R. Hasan