Workplace romances can be exciting. Intentionally timing your coffee refill to coincide with a co-worker crush gives the break room a whole new appeal. The funny–borderline flirty–gifs you send each other on Slack that become inside jokes between the two of you. This romantic electricity would certainly make anyone look forward to clocking into their 9-5. Anyone but Fran, that is. In the indie drama Sometimes I Think About Dying, Daisy Ridley stars as an apathetic office manager who finds it easier to indulge in her morbid curiosities than engage in reality. But when an outgoing new employee is brought on board and gives Fran a glimmer of attention, the self-preservation bubble of solitude she has been encapsulated in begins to burst. Her newfound workplace crush begins crushing her intrusive thoughts.
The film, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, may center around the mundane aspects of Fran’s daily life but the score by composer Dabney Morris is anything but drab. As if to mirror the emotional rollercoaster Fran experiences as she opens herself up to vulnerability, the soundtrack plays like a sonic amalgamation of Fran’s inner thoughts. The 13-track album is available tomorrow on digital platforms, along with the limited-edition gatefold pressed on heavyweight 180g “Pacific Coast Blue” vinyl with an official CB Port Authority Memo liner notes insert.
Cinemacy is excited to premiere “Opening” from Oscilloscope Laboratories’ Sometimes I Think About Dying, below:
The opening track’s dreamy soundscape opens with a beautiful harp sequence that quickly becomes enveloped in a symphony of sound. The soprano strings stand in sharp contrast to the lower-registered vocals, creating a stylized waltz that feels reminiscent of a classic fairytale. The end result is a richly melodic piece that harbors the intangible feelings of desire and longing.
Speaking on the score, Dabney comments, “Early in the pre-production stage of the film, [director] Rachel Lambert approached me with an idea that we treat Astoria, OR as though it had the same escapist allure as a Hawaiian getaway. This ultimately took us down the seemingly endless rabbit hole of the often-eye-rolled-at genres of exotica and lounge. Pulling inspiration from Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, Henry Mancini, and the dreary, dull Pacific Northwest coast, we were able to imagine a score that was at once lush and enticing yet dark with a sort of romantic macabre.”
Dabney Morris is a multi-hyphenate artist based in Los Angeles. In addition to his work as a producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, he is co-composing the score for the upcoming Alex Ross Perry documentary about the iconic indie-rock band, Pavement, and served as an arranger and musical director for the off-Broadway workshop production of “Slanted! Enchanted! A Pavement Musical.” Dabney has written additional music for projects like AMC’s Kevin Can F*** Himself, HBO’s Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults, FX’s A Teacher, and the 2022 SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner I Love My Dad. He is also the co-founder of Chamber House, a series of modern chamber music concerts hosted in intimate venues in Los Angeles.
