Sometimes when you listen to a soundtrack, it can sweep you away to places other than where you body can go. At least with me, I can find myself in some exotic location, quite happily letting the music wash over me. “Age of Mythology” has an acustic sound that brings you back to the Earth’s roots. You feel settled and assured.
However like the bread in a sandwich, each end of the disc has some absolutely glorious orchestral numbers. “A Cat Named Mittens” performed by the Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra and Chorus completely stirs every sense before you set sail on the ambient acoustic adventures.
“Eat Your Potatoes” sends you down a aura of sound with bass and gentle percussion weaving a beautiful song through acoustic guitar. This is a huge favourite song of mine and I recommend this song to judge whether or not you’d enjoy the soundtrack. “Chocolate Outline” adds bells and distant bangings of toms to the equation in a more rousing melody – almost like a soft march.
“Never Mind the Slacks and Bashers” then begins to move the sound into a more mysterious ambient tone in places, almost taking on a slightly Eygptian feel to it – especially the opening. “Suture Self” brings bass and woodwind to the fore but essentially the same mechanics of a nice melody patterned out onto acoustic earthly instrumentation prevails.
Each song carries its own gimmick signiture. “Flavor Cats (In The Comfort Zone)” has some superb percussive motifs that are then repeated on acoustic guitar and the song really builds up into its own pace and speed. “(Fine Layers of) Slaysenflite” shows how well thought out the main melodies are with a seemless tune that spins around your head long after its finished. “Hoping For Real Betterness” wows you with its guitar expertise before “Adult Swim” adds tense string segments to the mix almost crossing the boarders into acoustic Spainish music!
The final tracks of the main music continue this magical display (“Behold the Science Fi” is superb) before the Orchestra return for an extremely rousing piece of trailer music (a longer reprise of the opening track) and a stunning victory theme “(If You can Use A Doorknob)” that would reawake any god from their slumber! The defeat theme is very downbeat and mellow from the orchestra too so it proves they can do both sides of the spectrum.
The penultimate track “Gary’s Reserve” is really the only song that doesnt fit. Whatever possessed them to place a jazzy dance track on the end of the wonderous non electric musical heaven and make it feel so out of place is beyond me. The song itself is still very listenable and bounces across genres from rock to reggae but just “Why?” springs to mind! Still if the only gripe on a soundtrack is that one song doesnt fit but you still enjoy that song anyway – it shows the quality of what you have purchased! The CD closes with “Eat Your Potatoes (Quiet Mix)” which removes all percussion from the original and send you away in peace.
I really cannot enthuse over this soundtrack enough. Kevin McMullan, Stephen & Chris Rippy really did put in a magic turn to create such a wonderful CD and I would heartily recommend it to anyone.