An Inconvenient Truth

by James Christopher Monger
Guitarist/composer/Real World fusionist Michael Brook's soundtrack for
Al Gore
's environmental doomsday documentary An Inconvenient Truth relies heavily on the eclectic artist's gifts for atmosphere. Brook's serpentine soundscapes echo
Daniel Lanois
' work on
Billy Bob Thornton
's
Sling Blade
, relying on distinctly American-sounding motifs that illuminate
Gore
's rural upbringing while maintaining the feel of the ominous smokestack that graces the album's cover. It's like
Aaron Copland
filtered through one of
Bill Frisell
's mid-'90s studio sessions, and while it doesn't make for a particularly riveting listen, it does capture the film's weight.