An acclaimed documentary, Clear Sky tells the story of Shawn Clearsky Davies, a Canadian man of Anishinaabe struggling with a sense of identity, connection to his culture and battling addiction. The striking music is by Hanan Townshend, best-known for his collaborations with Terrence Malick; I’ve long been an admirer, feeling the composer has an innate sense of poetry in the way he applies music to picture, and Clear Sky is very much in that vein. While generally calm and contemplative, there is a visceral imagery (of life, the natural world) conjured up by the music which is really very compelling.
The music is entirely cerebral from start to finish, but without ever sounding like a cold, intellectual exercise (not an easy thing for a composer to pull off). The electronic pulse running through the opening “Stripping Away” may bring a superficial comparison with Alexandre Desplat, and there is certainly something the two composers have in common – the assured precision of the music is absolute. Whether through the calm piano of “Connection to Nature”, the colourful flute of “Running” or the strained wind harmonies of “Don’t Give Up”, there is always an interesting texture on display – including in the music’s darker moments, meaning Townshend is able to maintain attention even as the music seems to be moving at a glacial pace. At all times there is a sense of decency being conveyed and this turns more overtly to hope and optimism as the score progresses, meaning as well as the fascinating music there is a keen dramatic arc to it as well. I described the score as “striking” but it is striking in the subtlest of ways – it won’t leap from the speakers and grab you, instead it lulls you in and keeps you rapt. Highly recommended.
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