Jonny Greenwood

Barely a single review of Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood has neglected to mention Jonny Greenwood's accompanying score. In the film, the Radiohead multi-instrumentalist's work gives the proceedings a heavy sense of dread with a haunting, modern touch. The question, as with all instrumental soundtracks, is whether it holds up without the context of the movie. The answer is: surprisingly well. Most days, I drive across Toronto's Lakeshore Boulevard and up the Don Valley Parkway to south of Highway 401. I keep playing There Will Be Blood in the car because its dramatic flourishes, while hardly relaxing, echo the world Daniel Plainview (TWWB's main character) would have envisioned — a concrete jungle filled with motorists, all mindlessly consuming oil. In a way, it's the perfect soundtrack to a boring afternoon drive. Call it uneasy listening.