Far from unfortunate film music

Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ provides inspiration for a zany musical mix for film-lovers.

Composer: Thomas Newman
Repertoire: Lemony Snicket’s  A Series of Unfortunate Events (soundtrack)
Artists: Various artists
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Instrumental
Label: Sony Classical SK 93576

Unmistakably Thomas Newman, this will delight fans of American Beauty and Six Feet Under, earlier works also bearing his mix of the spine-tingling and the quirky. Tinkling dulcimers and strings knit with tuned percussion – marimbas and exotic drums – and synthesized effects to create an edgy (if over-busy) score. The emphasis is on atmosphere, yet the closing theme will satisfy keen melody-holics.