Soundtrack Review: Leverage (2010)

Leverage Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the Television Score Leverage by Joseph LoDuca.

"Another fine release by LoDuca who for all I care, can keep on doing TV scores forever"

Leverage is a Television series about a gang of con-artists who steal from the wealthy and corrupt. It stars Timothy Hutton and has a cool vibe around it. Sort of like a light version of Ocean's Eleven. I did watch half of first season but it didn't have the staying power so I left it. I did notice the score, but didn't think to much of it at the time. The composer is none other than Joseph LoDuca who seems to do every TV score these days. He is certainly versatile and this cool show needs a cool score.

Track List

What is it about Joseph LoDuca and TV scores? His name seems to be on every release lately. Well it's probably just me but he did get The Triangle and Legend of the Seeker released last year and then I recently started watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand and guess what, his name was there as well. He does TV scores so well and ever since Xena and Hercules I've been paying attention to whatever he has been attached to and very rarely come out of it disappointed.

Cool But No Cigar

As cool as it is, it still lacks that ultra coolness that David Holmes managed in Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen. Still there are some great moments here like 'On The Con' and 'Loosing Underpants' both which oozes coolness. The funky jazz-like sound comes straight out of a Vegas crime syndicate, that's how cool it is. You'll certainly enjoy it in some other cues as well, but none as good as the cues I mentioned. 'Leverage Main Title' and 'The Team' are other good examples of this kind of music. There's not only funky music though, as LoDuca has created some great emotional moments in 'Madame Administrator'. It's a Chinese inspired cue with all the trimmings. It's calm as it is beautiful and again shows LoDuca's versatility. He can do it all.

As for emotions, what does this score make me feel? Well it make me feel cool, like a slick gangster in a white suit just before going in and rob a casino. And this is all I want the score to do, to get me imagine scenarios and flow with the music. This certainly does the job and then some. I really enjoy the way it makes me feel. Aside from the jazzy lounge style, there are also some calm and beautiful cues as I mentioned. It allows you to drift away from your Vegas casino for a while and into a Chinese spa -- not speaking from experience of course! Yes, LoDuca get his feelings and emotions out there and it's so damn catchy.

Conclusion

Another fine release by LoDuca who for all I care, can keep on doing TV scores forever, because they always end up great. His work definitely heightens the show's value for me and I consider going back to watch what I've missed of Leverage. It has it's filler moments, but if you want to feel like a bonafide con-artist for an hour, then Leverage isn't your worst bet.

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Listen to the Leverage soundtrack by Joseph LoDuca below: