Composer: James Newton Howard.

James Newton Howard's scores to M. Night Shyamalan's films are typically ominous. THE HAPPENING builds upon that solid foundation and amplifies it with a touch of twisted, Danny Elfman-inspired mayhem. Each track starts out subdued, with dramatic sustained chords, and is then suddenly jolted by intense string work. Howard is a master of the modern mystery soundtrack, amply utilizing a string section that is simultaneously plucked and bowed, which only heightens the already eerie quality. This score is largely composed of strings and timpani, the horn section used primarily as expressive accompaniment. Creepy piano cues only heighten the dread-ridden atmosphere. THE HAPPENING is unquestionably an album not to be experienced alone in the dark.