Graeme Revell - Out Of Time - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003)

Gritty urban police dramas tend to immerse themselves in dissonant, forgettable orchestral crescendos punctuated by overproduced industrial programming. In Out of Time, composer Graeme Revell experiments with tropicalia and African rhythms, creating a truly fleshed out score that transports as opposed to irritates. Borrowing the cool brass chic of Henry Mancini and the marimba-heavy technological artistry of Thomas Newman, Revell sounds loose and confident, replacing his usual excess for fun. The late-night ocean drive feel of the main theme sneaks throughout the set like a mischievous teen, waving furiously at the camera with narcissistic bravado before taking back the wheel on the reprise. While the unnecessary remixes of "Night Beat" and "Saying Goodbye," with vocals by underground rapper Mika, interrupt the chilled flow of Out of Time, Revell's polyrhythmic foray into cinematic worldbeat is a cop movie gem.~ Review by James Christopher Monger