Man Of Aran OST

British Sea Power have shown their competence and achieved another level of musical integrity--the album, perhaps best enjoyed when paired with the film, nonetheless holds its ground as a standalone product, expanding the mise-en-scène of the film enormously and contributing to the documentary (if perhaps problematic) legacy of Robert Flaherty’s work.

It's a creative fecund, primeval power. [Jul 2009, p.100]

Yet while this is good mood music, like a lot of soundtrack material it requires the element inspiring it--the visuals.

It's not the most likely of moves for the Brighton-based lads, but it pays off well. [Summer 2009, p.64]

They may play noisy guitar rock, but they also wear military uniforms in concert and write songs about Czech history. Man of Aran illustrates both the successes and shortcomings of that dichotomy.

The shift in perspective necessary to "get" it, though, does work on that level: at the least, it's a fitting testimonial to British Sea Power's partially effective relocation of a classic film into a modern aesthetic scheme.

On its own, listeners may be lulled to the chilly deeps of sleep, but paired with the accompanying DVD, they'll be wiping the salt spray from their brows and pulling long rows of kelp out of their teeth.

This is the ground those guys were born to walk on, while the new Man of Aran score can be a bit of a stretch at times. Nevertheless, props are due for the effort as I shudder to think where they could have gone with it. At least they tried.

As a soundtrack, it works (mostly) well, but as a standalone album, it feels drearily wan and insignificant.

Much of the incidental music fulfils its purpose by occupying the background, but the band manage to inject real drama into the majestically discordant, Sonic Youth-influenced 'Spearing The Sunfish,' while the peaks and troughs of 'Boy Vertiginous' should appeal to Mogwai fans. [Jul 2009, p.117]