Album: The Vampire’s Assistant
Artist: Stephen Trask
Released: 2009
Description: The Vampire’s Assistant is an interesting mix of Gothic horror and teen-adventure musical styles. There is a lot of color here, with a smallish orchestra playing out action sequences and tense moments and a smaller ensemble or solo instrument backing the teenage protagonist’s more personal moments. The music is reminiscent of Danny Elfman’s work in the horror genre, full of whimsy and unusual instrumentation and execution. The few themes and motifs in the album do not span every track and thus a number of the tracks come off as more narrative set pieces rather character piece. As I mention in other posts, this thematic ambiguity is a boon to writing as it serves as a better backdrop to what’s in your head; for instance, could you write a new character while listening to “The Imperial March” and not have the traits of Darth Vader seep into your character? If you are writing a horror story but want music that’s not unsettling throughout the entirety of the album (and has moments of levity), or even an unconventional vampire story, give this one a listen as you’ll find a lot to like.
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