Hearts In Atlantis (OST)

There is not a lot to this album of music from Hearts in Atlantis, a supernatural drama based on a short story by horror writer Stephen King and starring Anthony Hopkins. Four two- to five-minute cues from Mychael Danna's score add up to 17 minutes of instrumental orchestral music that is characterized by slow tempos and lonely, ominous themes played on an echoey piano or a single string or reed instrument. At times, the music seems warm and peaceful, at others, haunted. The score excerpts intersperse eight rock & roll oldies on the soundtrack albums, songs from the 1954-1960 era, including three Platters hits and familiar songs by the likes of Chubby Checker ("The Twist") and Chuck Berry ("Carol"). Such music provides period setting in the film, and the tunes are always pleasant to hear, but, along with the pieces from the score, they make for an album that isn't much more than a souvenir of the film. ~ William Ruhlmann