Naughty James Horner critics should not read this review, it contains scenes of graphic James Horner worship and superlative praise, you have been warned! OK, so I like it all right! Yes, this is a lovely, understated work by Horner, that retains his usual warm persona, but doesn't let on that it is actually by Horner. There are none of the usual mannerism (i.e. self plagiarism or plagiarism of something else) and it enters the Horner canon as being one of his most original works. It mixes quiet folk-like music with a dash of Aaron Copland and you get a gentle 50 minutes of refreshingly inspired James Horner. There are also some blues-like harmonies that are surprising without being intrusive.
Starting with a twinkling piano motif and moving into gentle horn, flute and guitar sections backed by warm strings, it moves along at a very gentle pace (perhaps too gentle for some people). The orchestrations are different to the normal Horner interpretations, yet they still have his likeable and warm persona. A new theme is introduced in Reading the Letters that is one of the most wonderful themes Horner has created, it just bubbles along beautifully. There are more bustling moments, such as the folk music in Open for Business, but they don't interrupt the tranquillity of the rest of the score in any way at all. The mood tends to a more serious mode in A Desperate Decision and comes closest to being described as action music, albeit wonderfully understated. The final track sums up all the elements of the score from the opening piano sections to the other delicious themes that appear, it perfectly sums up the score. Even for non-Horner fans, I recommend this thoroughly, it is a timelessly beautiful work and is an example of what Horner can do if he throws out his usual box of tricks and opts for something new.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 50:12