legion-soundtrackby Jeff Russo

Lakeshore Records

The latest X-Men TV show gets a soundtrack release early in its run, revealing a trippy and hallucinogenic vibe that’s a far cry from your average superhero fare.

For those expecting a brassy main theme to herald the arrival of Dan Stevens’ eponymous son of Professor X, you might be disappointed. While being set in the same mutant-verse as Bryan Singer’s movies, there’s no suggestion of John Ottman’s fanfare or anything that heroic. But saying that, it would be totally inappropriate for the titular character, who at this early stage of the series is still fighting to identify just who he is and what’s real.

Stevens plays David Haller, a troubled young man who has been bounced in and out of institutions his whole life and finally realising the potential of his powers. For someone who has spent so long in a drug-controlled state, it’s fitting that the music is hallucinogenic, drifting in and out of consciousness. Don’t expect the groovy sitar of Giacchino’s Doctor Strange, but instead enjoy Jeff Russo’s employment of the synthi and obscure percussion, in tandem with some lush orchestral accompaniment.

Russo (who also worked with showrunner Noah Hawley on Fargo) cites Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon as an influence, and there’s definitely a touch of the Dave Gilmours to some of the prog rock tracks, notably in the opening section of the 8-minute 174 Hours.

The Main Theme doesn’t appear until track 9, being 90 seconds of beeps and blips before some urgent strings dominate and reveal the melody. Darkness (full suite) too begins low key with bird song and dissonant ambient noises before evolving into a fully-rounded orchestral piece with driving underlying theme. Likewise David and Syd which swells from its synth intro into a full-blooded theme for our hero and mystery girl.

Verdict: While it’s great to get a soundtrack release so early in a show’s opening season (episode 3 has just aired at the time of writing) it does mean that the music is centred around the start of the show, which in itself might not be a true reflection of how the show’s aural landscape develops. As an opening statement, it’s a refreshing and inventive set of cues that distinguish themselves from standard TV fare. 8/10

Nick Joy