28 Days Later (Soundtrack)

While there are a few "names" here--in the shape of American power-pop band Grandaddy, ambient pioneer Brian Eno and dance producer Blue States--the majority of this record consists of John Murphy's original cinematic score. The music owes a little to Eno's darker musical experiments and a great deal to the strangely beautiful doomscapes practised by fiercely anti-corporate Montreal-based orchestral group Godspeed You Black Emperor (whose music actually appears in the film, but never makes it as far as the soundtrack album). Walls of bleak but elegiac feedback and avalanche drums rolls are separated by caustic drones and passages of eerie near-silence.

This dark drama is somewhat relieved by stark, choir-sung interludes that add a religious, redemptive feeling and by the occasional foray into crystal-clear electronica. Danny Boyle also directed Trainspotting, but you won't be able to file this next to that film's OST in the pop section of your music shelf. However, fans of a darker, more cinematic sound will be well-served by this chilling record. --Louis Pattison