First Flight The Last of Us HBO sees composer Gustavo Santaolalla retooling and abbreviating many of his most famous pieces from the original game soundtracks. “First Flight” is actually the bridge section of “Unbroken” from The Last of Us Part II. This makes it a […]

The O.G. of cinematic guitar Gustavo Santaolalla had already built an impressive résumé — Amores Perros, 21 Grams, The Motorcycle Diaries (an astonishing soundtrack) — but it was 2005’s Brokeback Mountain where his cinematic sound truly took flight: minimalist guitar, expansive reverb, and open space […]

A Real Hero Drive (2011) was a great movie — artful in the way it introduced an 80s aesthetic while still being set in the present day. The soundtrack was excellent, punctuated with synthwave (or retrowave) producers like College, Kavinsky, and Desire. Music built around […]

Left Behind (The Journey) I’ve always loved this piece, originally titled “Left Behind (Together)” from The Last of Us Vol. 2 — which is actually the soundtrack for the Left Behind DLC  (the first game’s expansion). I’m not a gamer, and in case you’re not […]

I Suppose We Could Go Anywhere I’m consistently amazed at how HBO knocks it out of the park — specifically with the Game of Thrones universe. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was a slightly upbeat departure in tone, but still carried all the shock […]

Together Again The BBC/Hulu limited series Normal People has been recommended to me for years. I’ve always loved the music, and I was deeply familiar with the minimalist piano soundtrack by Irish composer Stephen Rennicks long before I actually watched the show. Having just finished […]

The Luck Is Ours Alone While Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon focus on the high-stakes maneuvering of kings, queens, and Great Houses—A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms offers a refreshing, more intimate look at George R.R. Martin’s world. Based on the Tales […]

Chains of Love I love the concept of the Wuthering Heights soundtrack; pairing the hyperpop energy of Charli xcx with a romantic period piece is an inspired choice. It’s a fascinating departure for Charli xcx, whose typical sound is up-tempo and experimental, rather than the […]

Variation 15 (Dunkirk) While Hans Zimmer served as the principal composer for Dunkirk, the score’s soft, ambient, and melodic textures were crafted by Benjamin Wallfisch and inspired by Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934). The film’s most poignant theme is a reimagining of Elgar’s “Nimrod” from his […]

Hermano, by Tom Farrell “Hermano,” is a beautiful and lesser-known Spanish guitar piece featured in the 2012 Will Ferrell comedy, Casa de mi Padre. It’s a fantastic fingerstyle piece that sounds complex but is surprisingly accessible for intermediate guitarists. The original composition was performed by […]

Of the undiscovered country “Hamnet” is a historical drama based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling 2020 novel. The film tells the profound story of love and loss between William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway (historically known as Anne Hathaway, but not the modern actress). The […]

Leyendo en el Hospital The score for The Motorcycle Diaries is widely regarded as one of Gustavo Santaolalla’s masterworks. Directed by Walter Salles, the 2004 film is adapted from the journals of two real-life Argentines, Alberto Granado and Ernesto Guevara de la Serna. Depicting the […]