One aspect of Patrick Doyle's music that I've not really commented upon is his orchestration which, I must admit, doesn't always work for me, especially when he's writing big, dense orchestral blowouts. It can seem too thick in some sections of the orchestra, yet somehow too thin in others. It's perhaps most obvious when comparing his Harry Potter score compared to Williams' where all of Williams' writing is so clear and precise, even in the loud passages whereas Doyle's is rather clumsy in comparison on occasion. I only mention this as Sleuth is about as far from that as you can get and its clean, subtle orchestration seems so much more assured than when trying for spectacle his bigger works. Admittedly, when the proportions are more chamber - strings, occasional piano - and not a huge symphony orchestra, it's easier to get it right, but Sleuth is very carefully wrought, tuneful suspense music, with a hint of menace, even if it's not exactly the kind of eye watering suspense Morricone can pull out the hat every time.

At the risk of being lame, it's rather hard to say a great deal about Sleuth as it's very repetitive, the main theme anchoring every track and moving along at approximately the same pace. Echoing string figures (done live, not through any manipulation) the result a cross between Michael Nyman, Philip Glass and a hint of Beethoven. If not exactly unoriginal, it doesn't contain a great deal that is distinctly Doyle. That returns to the orchestration issue as many of his favoured trademarks, the high trumpets and arpeggios in particular, are entirely absent. Not necessarily a bad thing and a nice, modern, companion to Branagh's other recent work for which Doyle provided the score, As You Like It. The oddly titled I'm Not a Hairdresser (well, duh) and Too Much Sleuth feature the electronic backbeat of one Patrick Doyle Jnr who, by my reckoning, must only be about 12, but he does a pretty decent job giving his old dad's work a modern spin. Indeed, had it been used more frequently, but with subtlety of I'm Not a Hairdresser, there would be no complaint from me (Too Much Sleuth goes a bit far and honestly sounds rather cheesy). Not one of Doyle's most attention grabbing scores, but not without its moments, even if the entire album is more or less summed up by the titular penultimate track.

Rating ~

1. The Visitor (2:06)
2. The Ladder (2:49)
3. You're Now You (1:26)
4. I'm Not a Hairdresser (3:28)
5. Black Arrival (2:22)
6. Milo Tindle (2:17)
7. I Was Lying (2:30)
8. Itch Twitch (2:24)
9. Rat in a Trap (2:26)
10. One Set All (2:24)
11. Cobblers (1:390
12. Sleuth (6:05)
13. Too Much Sleuth

Total Time ~ 36:05