The World's Fastest Indian
Reviewed by Josh Gizelt
May 18, 2006

There are moments in The World's Fastest Indian where the score sounds like it's going to open up into... something. You're not sure what, exactly, and you never find out because it just never gets there. The more intense moments build and build but ultimately just sit there. It is a score that is best when it is at its most intimate, but unfortunately it is also very derivative and doesn't really establish an identity of its own.

This is perhaps apothesized in the fourth track, "Beach Race," which is a mounting track that leads to a fanfare that leads to... nothing. It ends just when it was getting interesting.

There are some very pretty melodies, such as in "Departure" and "Disappointment," but there are also unfortunately areas of the score that sound a bit too much like Thomas Newman. Other parts sound a bit like Bruce Broughton. Whether this is due to Robinson himself or director Roger Donaldson falling in love with his temp track is unknown, but it is rather jarring to hear American Beauty pop up here and there. Robinson does do some interesting things with the characteristic kinky Newman sound, such as add a trip-hop beat to it, but then you hear a characteristic haunting Newman piano sound and all of a sudden you're trying to remember which Newman score that sounds like... were this to happen once or twice over the course of the album it would have been one thing, but unfortunately it happens quite a few times.

Some parts of the score sound very traditional, while others bring in contemporary pop elements, but there is no mixing of the styles. It's not a bad score, but it is pretty unremarkable, and the lack of a central unifying voice combined with an constant absence of payoffs causes the album to have a very meandering quality.

The sonics on the album are excellent, however, and with the exception of the back cover, the artwork is rather attractive. There are sleeve notes by Donaldson and Robinson, who describe the creative process behind the score, which involved Robinson improvising on his keyboard to the film. This may explain why the score doesn't have much in the way of ultimate direction. It may work very well in the film, but unfortunately as an album it is rather flat.

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