Harry Potter mania is about to sweep the nation all over again. The one two punch of the Order of the Phoenix feature film and the final book in the series, The Deathly Hallows, is sure to make any Potter fan lose control of their bladders. I happen to one of those people, and in an effort to buy into the hype and prepare myself for some Potter madness, I decided to buy the Original Score to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

I’m not usually one to buy film soundtracks before I see the movie, but it was either this or the new Smashing Pumpkins album. Scored by Nicholas Hooper, Phoenix marks the third composer to dabble into the world of Harry Potter. I’m a really big John Williams fan, so deep down I’ll always miss his contribution to the HP film world, where he scored the first three films. When I first listened to Patrick Doyle’s take on the franchise with Goblet of Fire, I honestly didn’t like it at all. However I eventually came around and grew to accept it, it’s actually a favorite of mine now.

The first track alone in Phoenix tells you immediately that it’s going to be a very different album, as we’re basically greeted with a wailing guitar… I’m not kidding. I’m not talking the type of guitar that John Williams slipped into the chase scene of Episode II, I’m talking some serious business here. To be honest, I’m not quite sure how I feel about it fitting in with the score as a whole, but I’m almost certain that it accompanies a famous scene that involves a pair of red headed twins taking it to the man, which should be a treat.

I get the feeling it’s going to take me quite a few listens before I can really nail down how I feel about the score. Right now I’m kind of on the fence, just as I was when I first listened to Doyle’s work. There are a few stand out tracks, like the first one mentioned titled Fireworks, and the theme of the “Room of Requirement.” Most disappointing is the track that accompanies the death of a particular fan favorite character (which is ruined on the back of the album in case you want to be surprised), which doesn’t feel even remotely emotional. By comparison, a track that goes along with the firing of a Hogwart’s teacher sounds like it should belong to the scene I mentioned before this.

It is by no means a terrible soundtrack, it actually has it’s share of great moments, but I’m not sure how I’d rank it compared to the previous film scores. That said, it’s still better that the rather uninspired Chamber of Secrets score, and worthy of a Potter fans attention.

Must Download
Fireworks (just because)
Professor Umbridge
The Room of Requirement
Flight of the Order of the Phoenix