Gungor and How To Train Your Dragon 2

Today I have some slower, more soothing kind of music for you. This song is by the group known as Gungor. This is a group/collective that was started by the musician and composer Michael Gungor. He has been nominated for quite a few Grammy's for his work in song writing and work with the group. Now one of the things that I love about Gungor is that they have a sound that can be a little punk, but also have this wonderfully acoustic sound as well. They are like a rock band that has decided to put on an acoustic show. There are other bands out there whose music can be compared to Gungor, but again, there is a different sound specific to Gungor. One thing I noticed immediately was the way they harmonize. It is not always easy to create intricate harmonies between male and female voices. But Gungor creates this wonderfully complex scale of harmonies, which at times, gives the song a slight punk sound. But it also creates so much depth in the song, making it something you would need to navigate if you were to pick it apart. The indie-folk kind of sound is reminiscent of ambient soundscapes, something that you can get lost to. And is that such a bad thing? I personally don't think so. There is a lot of nature motifs throughout the song, which makes sense as to why I imagined what I did when listening to the song. I find it very unique and beautiful, not something that immediately sticks out, but subtly captures your heart. Today's instrumental song comes from the movie How To Train Your Dragon 2. This score was composed by John Powell, as was the first one. And if I am to be quite honest, this set of movies is possibly his best work. This is a score that is very emotive and powerful. Not to mention culturally accurate. A lot of scores try to create that generalized cultural sound, but John Powell is able to capture that "viking" sound, but also emphasizes the beauty of traditional Celtic music. He uses everything from a fiddle to the enchanting wind instruments. This is a score that was composed to make us feel every moment in the movie, enhancing the overall emotional and sentimentality of the film itself. If you have not seen the film, I highly recommend it. In my opinion, a lot of animated movies today have lost their luster and magic, but this is a movie that will always be special to me. It is funny, moving, and has this idea of portraying life in a real way. Despite the fact that there are dragons, the life struggles in the movie echo that of our own lives. And of course, this score is one that is highly ranked on my list of favorite compositions. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!