The fifth tv show in Taylor Sheridan’s burgeoning Yellowstone universe (and the second to be released this year – neither of which feature Sheridan as show-runner), Dutton Ranch tells the continuing tale of Beth and Rip following the conclusion of the main series. Brian Tyler has been on board this journey from the start and has written some of his best main themes in the process and I’m pleased to report that this show features another – very much in the same vein as Yellowstone’s theme, it’s a dramatic and evocative piece of music which manages to convey some of the show’s soap opera dynamics at the same time as being nicely suggestive of the expansive landscapes it so wonderfully features.
As with most of the rest of the franchise, Breton Vivian joins Tyler in composing the score and the very sharp 45-minute album that results is I think one of the best so far in this series. The bucolic calm of “Life Before the Storm” sets the score off very nicely – the fiddle solo is gorgeous – but it’s not long before the music gets into much tenser territory. What I like about it is the contrast in emotion the composers manage to convey between sadness about a life that’s been lost and a grit and determination about building a new life to replace it. There’s a hugely effective device used in a few tracks with what sounds like a deep bass vocal effect (but probably isn’t!) which adds a fascinating colour to the music, a degree of humanity; elsewhere guitars and other apt textures add some flavour of the Texan setting; there’s real emotion, too (“This Horse is Suffering” has an irresistible pathos to it); and while there’s not too much in the way of “action” material, when it does come (particularly the Inception-like “Don’t Be Like Dwight”) that’s good too. The album positively breezes by – even in its darker moments the music remains resolutely pleasant to listen to and I think it is probably the composers’ most consistently impressive work on this franchise to date. (As a tip – I haven’t written about it – but do also check out Vivian’s solo score for the not-quite-Yellowstone-spinoff The Madison, which is quite a different beast but I found to be particularly impressive.)
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