One has the sensation that when more you hear Danny Elfman's music, and as his experience and variety of works are increased along the time passed, his style not only evolves and purify itself, but also his musical knowledge is higher and more consistent. And although Elfman never abandoned that quirky and particular sound of his first period (look for the recent The Frighteners), it is from Sommersby (1993) and, specially, Dolores Claiborne (1994) when his music has achieved an enviable stage of maturity. On this line, Extreme Measures uses turns and unfoldings in agreement with his mysterious plot, and cues like Cokie or the long The Descent had its benefit through it. It is plain that the times of Oingo Boingo are far away, and the soberness both in sound and style, seems to be in the near future of Danny Elfman. M.A.F.

/ VARESE SARABANDE VSD5767 / 30'