Those who’ve grown up worshipping the original score will undoubtedly hear faint echoes of the past, much like the narrative that unfolds on-screen, but it’s hardly as abrasive or on-the-nose as that might read. With the exception of their “Tears in the Rain” redux, the two opt for a more subtle approach to past motifs, one that thrives with hush-hush flourishes sprinkled throughout. It’s as if Zimmer and Wallfisch are sneaking through the abandoned confines of the Tyrell Corporation, and they happened to brush by an ancient machine or two. Instead, you get the idea that Zimmer’s leaning heavily on his recent work for Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, capitalizing on that signature bass and those distant strings of his, all of which makes for an essential touch to the hollowed-out world of Blade Runner 2049. But there are also hints of The Dark Knight Rises, what with those haunting Gregorian chants (“Wallace”) and the unforgiving digital storms (“Blade Runner”), and they also set aside enough room for the beauty in the universe, as evidenced by the tranquility of stunning tracks like “Rain” or “Joi” or “Memory”. It’s stunning stuff.
Completists will also appreciate the two Elvis Presley songs — “Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” — and the lonely Frank Sinatra classic (“One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)”) that soundtrack arguably the greatest scene in a film of greatest scenes. Hearing those pop up during the listen should send a few shivers down the spine of anyone who’s seen the film, particularly the way they’re wedged between haunting tracks like “Pilot” and “Hijack”. Unfortunately, the whole shebang is somewhat soured by Lauren Daigle’s godawful closing ballad “Almost Human”, but the song itself works like a post-credits sequence — superfluous and extra baggage the majority will otherwise ignore. Instead, due attention should be given to the real closers, the two sweeping 10-minute suites, “Sea Wall” and “Blade Runner”, all the evidence you need to know that Villenueve made the right choice in giving the job to Zimmer and Wallfisch. You’ve never seen a miracle, but you can hear one.
| A1 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | 2049 |
| A2 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Sapper's Tree |
| A3 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Flight to LAPD |
| A4 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Rain |
| A5 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Wallace |
| A6 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Memory |
| A7 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Mesa |
| B1 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Orphanage |
| B2 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Furnace |
| B3 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Someone Lived This |
| B4 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Joi |
| B5 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Pilot |
| B6 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Hijack |
| C1 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | That's Why We Believe |
| C2 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Her Eyes Were Green |
| C3 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Sea Wall |
| D1 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | All The Best Memories Are Hers |
| D2 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Tears In The Rain |
| D3 | –Hans Zimmer & Benjamin Wallfisch | Blade Runner |
| D4 | –Lauren Daigle | Almost Human |
