Beloved: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

It makes perfect sense that Beloved, Jonathan Demme's adaptation of Toni Morrison's acclaimed novel, brims with haunting and mysterious melodies. This is, after all, a story about the repercussions of slavery. Native American flutes and African percussion permeate Rachel Portman's score, as do the haunting vocals of Oumou Sangare. The powerful yet sparse contributions from the Malian vocalist give the disc heavenly atmospherics, while the music--though ponderous at times--brims with intensity. "Cincinnati Streets" and "Vaccine" both feature a frantic patter of percussion, while "That's Ohio" features fragile string arrangements giving way to the gorgeous harmonies of the African Children's Choir. These somber global sounds are both beautiful and compelling. Yet another scoring gem from Portman. --Jason Verlinde