Torchwood: Original Television Soundtrack

Soundtrack review
Composed by Ben Foster and Murray Gold
Silva Screen
Release date Out now

The sounds of both series of Torchwood…

Taking its cue from the weird aural landscape of the original series of Doctor Who, the music of Torchwood offers a fine selection of haunting themes that conjure up evocative images of a rain-swept Cardiff.

A long way from the grandiose bluster and epic science fiction romance of the Doctor Who score, this is subtle fare that is unlikely to have the wide appeal of Murray Gold’s earlier work. Indeed, in his collaboration with Ben Foster (who handles the majority of the scoring duties here) the pair have created a strange, unsettling and very adult soundscape to the adventures of Captain Jack and co.

While the score veers on the side of ambient in places – The Woman on the Roof being an especially leftfield selection – the Torchwood theme itself disappoints. It’s fine in the context of the show – a brief (though unhummable) tune. But extended beyond its natural life, it just feels forced and excessive. In short, everything the rest of the album isn’t. Jonathan Wilkins