3. American Beauty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al21Vtlsg4A American Beauty is possibly the most widely acknowledged Thomas Newman score, and it is still to this date, one of his most innovative and iconic soundtracks. It's as quirky as it is ominous, containing light hearted melodies and complex layers of rhythmic and atmospheric instrumentation. The combined sound is something very dreamy and other worldly, but still oddly grounded and incredibly accessible. This is very beneficial in accompanying the film's themes, and its approach to crafting and presenting its characters. The sounds really do an excellent job traversing the spectrum of human psychology and emotions. While the score and the film complement each other almost flawlessly, due to the abstract nature of some of the cues, the album may be a bit less accessible for some listeners. Nonetheless, there are plenty of engaging tracks that are hard not to enjoy.