The Departed

AMG Review of The Departed

James Christopher Monger
All Music Guide

For 2006's gritty Departed, director Martin Scorsese, instead of deftly balancing the film's score with selections from the his notoriously large jukebox of jazz, ock, pop and country tunes as he has done in the past with both Goodfellas and Gangs of New York, split the two into separate releases, allowing fans the option of experiencing composer Howard Shore's moody, guitar-heavy soundtrack without the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones or Badfinger there to break the vibe. Shore is as adaptable as always, crafting an urban landscape littered with dissonant strings, gently plucked classical guitars, and feedback that comes and goes like the ebb and flow of the public transit system. From ango to the lues, Shore paints New York City as the multicultural Petri dish it is, shadowing Scorsese's tale of cops and corruption like a willing participant rather than a fish-out-of-water bystander.