7/26/2023 0 Comments Tooth and tail soundtrackThe last such case is “Archimedes, Left Hand of the Civilized,” featuring classical guitar strums and harmonics, zesty violin vibrato, and some peppery organ riffs. Each of these early tracks is dutifully introduced by the barroom chorus from the opening track with roaring fanfare. In “The Quartermaster of the KSR,” a meek balalaika trembles before the might of snorting trombones and a flaring trumpet. “Bellafide, Firebrand of the Longcoats,” on the other hand, sees a peppy bassoon solo worming its way under a playful combination pizzicato, Spanish guitar and tambourine. With “Hopper, Flagbearer for the Commonfolk,” Austin begins leaning into subtle chromaticism to hint at a more threatening atmosphere beneath the album’s belligerent exterior. This conflicted mood persists all throughout the album, as demonstrated by its first handful of tracks. This opening track lingers in a minor key, but also has a certain swagger thanks to the swing in its time signature – making the track both grizzly and comically off-kilter. Tooth and Tail sets its own rules right away with “The Food of Beasts,” deploying Mariachi-style trumpet against a pompous – and very possibly drunk – male chorus, and concluding with some playful counterpoint between a detuned piano and acoustic guitar. In fact, few other soundtracks in gaming, if any, are quite like it – even taking into account Tetris’s Russian heritage and the somber, slavic undercurrents of Papers, Please. The album succeeds, first and foremost, in establishing itself as a significant stylistic departure from Austin Wintory’s previous works. Does this unconventional album make for a rare treat from one of the industry’s most versatile composers? Body The latest of Austin Wintory’s wild departures is the original soundtrack to Tooth and Tail – or, as the man himself puts it in the album description, an excuse to produce “tangos and latin dance music…using early 20th century Russian instruments.” This combination is already unique in the world of game music in general, let alone in the context of Austin’s discography. From the detuned ragtime of Monaca: What’s Yours Is Mine to the Nordic anthems of The Banner Saga to the orchestral ambience of the Grammy-nominated Journey, Austin has proven his adaptability across a variety of disparate projects. While games composers can seldom afford to linger in a single musical style, few commit themselves to the exploration of new genres and combinations of sounds with the same fervor as Austin Wintory.
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