Horton Hears a Who! is a whimsical and zany film, and its soundtrack appropriately follows suit. Created by British composer
John Powell (who is also credited with playing the "30 foot water system, euphonifaffamelophone, [and] trombugle" in the liner notes), the original score bounces between genres with all the energy of
Dr. Seuss' prose. Gothic choirs, Spanish tangos, string sections, big band horns, and '70s-styled funk, all have there place here, as does the sort of fast, furtive music that so often underscores the action sequences in animated movies. The pieces are short, often only 60 seconds in length, but they flow together with a fluidity that rarely disrupts the album's progress.
Powell may not be conjuring up anything we haven't heard before (that is, apart from the euphonifaffamelophone gizmo), but familiarity doesn't keep
Horton Hears a Who! from emerging as a smart, diverse, and often surprisingly classy soundtrack. ~ Andrew Leahey