Taken [Original Television Score]

Composer Laura Karpman does her best to channel John Williams for the Steven Spielberg-produced television miniseries Taken. From the opening woodwind/celeste crescendo, she manages to evoke the fantastical whimsy that he employed throughout his sci-fi heydays. That's not to say that her own voice is muted by Williams' work; rather, it's shadowed and informed by it. She exhibits a light touch on the main theme that only occasionally touches on the descending piccolos and bursts of Vader-esque dissonance that propelled the Star Wars trilogy. The work's highlight is the shimmering "Mothership Arrival," a fresh and exhilarating piece of ear candy that tosses a wonderful brass motif in circles before deflating into a lush field of chords. Unfortunately, the score as a whole never takes off. Karpman misses the opportunity to establish a real voice by opting for long forgettable soundscapes instead of evolving the opening theme into a memorable creation.