Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - The Social Network

Oh Trent. My first review of your music after over fifteen years of listening. I was excited about you scoring a film almost ten years ago, and at long last we have it here. I still prefer Still, though I am hugely interested in seeing this film to witness how well the music fits. In spite of the decline of my interest in NIN, I am continuously compelled to listen to this soundtrack. It does have a hypnotic edge to it.

Good film scores create a consistent mood rather than upstaging the action on screen. This soundtrack certainly pulls it off, with many ideas packed into multiple versions of the Reznor/Ross method. For those disinterested in Reznor’s dark Dr. Seuss-like lyrics, or confounded by the density and glut of directions on Ghosts I-IV, The Social Network may be the panacea. This score may combine the lowest common denominators to achieve depth, but it does so for a cause, without compromising Reznor's musical fortés. It is safe, yet effective. The limitations of matching one’s music to another’s ideas was likely a boon to Reznor and Ross. Their subdued approach to this release makes this the pair’s most relaxed effort to date.