Signs (Score)

Edition: Audio CD Price: $13.98

Genre:  Pop  Soundtrack  Soundtracks & Film Scores Artists:  James Newton Howard

Play all track samples  —  Stop Tracks: 1. Main Titles 2. First Crop Circles 3. Roof Intruder 4. Brazilian Video 5. In The Cornfield 6. Baby Monitor 7. Recruiting Office 8. Throwing A Stone 9. Boarding Up The House 10. Into The Basement 11. Asthma Attack 12. The Hand Of Fate - Part I 13. The Hand Of Fate - Part II

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Editorial review:

For decades strange, intricate symbols have appeared pressed into farm fields across the globe. Enormous, puzzling messages from an extraterrestrial civilization--or an incredibly elaborate hoax staged by... whom? Those are the questions that drive M. Night Shyamalan's narrative, but as in the director's other thrillers (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), the answers aren't always where you expect them. As he's done for Shyamalan's previous films, composer James Newton Howard creates a musical undercurrent of mystery and unease, with nervous arpeggios and sullen, swelling strings ratcheting up throughout the score's unsettling first half. The film is dotted with apparent visual homages to past sci-fi films, and moments of Howard's orchestral score have occasional parallels with the more action-oriented passages of John Williams's landmark Close Encounters score. But there's more than brooding atmospherics, tension-building, and the occasional booming crescendo here. A sense of gentle spirituality gradually evolves as well (largely via the composer's sensitive use of minimalist techniques), with Howard's music ultimately achieving a quiet, satisfying sense of resolve that's missing from all too much of Hollywood's hollow dramatic thunder. --Jerry McCulley

Customer reviews:

Impressive!

In a world clouded by John Williams, it has been difficult for other film composers to get themselves "heard." Along with Hans Zimmer, James Horner, and Howard Shore, James Newton Howard has begun to edge his name into popular cinematic circles. His new release "Signs" is actually what drew me to the theater to see the film. The enticing three-note pattern which is the foundation for the entire score was enchanting and invoked enough curiosity in me that I saw the film on opening day (even though the plot seemed bizzare). While the overture is impressive, I was a bit underwhelmed by the interior tracks on the album. While the music is great for "background" effects the typical moving chordal structure is altogether boring in comparison with every other suspense movie score out there. The album elevated itself to "impressive" status with the final two tracks (The Hand of Fate parts 1 and 2). These two tracks are stand alone music. Opening with an "in your face" recapitulation of the motive in the overture, evolving into a sweet, reflective lyrical section, and beginning to build again with an interesting staccato violin duet the finale is quite unique. The Hand of Fate part One concludes with a soaring horn line above the main theme and evolves into a pensive pseudo-choral in the Hand of Fate part Two. The CD is worth it just for the overture and the Hand of Fate Duo!

Scary, Isn't It....

One of the best suspense soundtracks ever made in my opinion. Howard is a very good composer and has gotten even better with Signs. The three note motif that is played thoughout the movie is so simple yet suspenseful. Signs is one of my favorite movie. One of the reasons is because of the music. The music shows us the situation that these people are living in a much scarier way.

Signs - Brilliant score by JNH

James Newton Howard's score for Signs has topped my collection. The sounds are simple and classic, yet very stimulating and adrenaline-pumping--akin to the famous strings in Psycho. The depth of the music is in its layers of instruments. The music complements the movie (the DVD of which I own) so well, reviving that Hitchcockian-style thriller I enjoy so much. In addition, I think the music captures so well the emotional plot within the story. I typically listen to movie music while driving. On many occasions, I drive with my two young sons to and from school. I watched Signs with them (editing out certain parts). Afterwards, we listened to the music in the car. The three sudden, loud, and scary parts (end of Brazilian Footage [Track 4], beginning of Asthma attack [Track 11] and Hand of Fate [Track 12]) made us all jump. And at every listen, at the climactic part, my younger son says "Swing away Merrill. Merrill, swing away." and then yells "WATER!" (sorry if you haven't seen the movie yet). You can't get a better response from a 3-yr-old. The music tells the story.