Tuck Everlasting

Composer William Ross will probably be better known for his involvement this year in the upcoming film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  However, before embarking on that project, he wrote a charming and heartwarming score to the film adaptation of the classic young-adult novel, Tuck Everlasting.  Director Jay Russell worked with Ross previously on My Dog Skip, and the collaboration this time around is just as fruitful.

The score is, for the most part, filled with soft drama, and a quasi-romantic melodic main theme.  "The Wheel / Treegap" showcases this theme, including a rendition using fiddle and flute, backed with guitars, followed by a music box.  From dark tension ("Kidnapping", "Graveyard") to sweeping epic romance ("Eiffel Tower", "Good-byes"), the score provides a wide range of emotions, and Ross deftly satisfies all the requirements.  There are also a few tracks that are like source cues ("Tuck's Place", "Cave Dance"), but it helps break up the album into a wholly enjoyable and varied listening experience.

At the end of this 42-minute listen, you'll feel warm and fuzzy - no doubt how most people felt when reading the book, and (hopefully) how they felt when seeing the film.  Ross is still a composer who has yet to hit it big, but he's steadily writing quality scores, and Tuck Everlasting will make a fine addition to anyone's soundtrack collection.