Shattered Glass

Canadian composer and occasional new age songsmith Mychael Danna has a way with constructive minimalism. His score for Shattered Glass, director Billy Ray's debut about the downfall of New Republic magazine journalist Stephen Glass, is an elegant triumph that resonates with a subtle blend of melancholy and whimsy. Danna deftly blends the electronic and the organic with a cool grace reminiscent of American Beauty composer Thomas Newman. For the rolling "TNR" — the thread that binds the piece — he employs a melodic string motif over a sparse stream of electronica that sounds like arranger Robert Kirby's work with '60s folk legend Nick Drake. The record is bookended by a lush theme that is just complex enough to illuminate the sweet simplicity of the pieces in between, resulting in a unique and balanced work that manages to enlighten despite its swift 23-minute playing time.