Mark Isham Raises the Temperature of the Drama with the Music of ‘Little Fires Everywhere’

Music can make or break the mood of a series. If there is too much, it’s intrusive or pulls focus from the story and the characters. If there is too little, an episode of your favorite drama can feel incomplete. Luckily Mark Isham and Isabella Summers’ score of Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere is grounded in the fraught beats of the story and deepens the emotional depths.

The most important thing about Little Fires is that nothing is black and white. Audiences are afforded the opportunity to make thoughtful arguments for both Reese Witherspoon’s Elena Richardson and Kerry Washington’s Mia Warren. Depending on how you were raised, you may find yourself rooting for one woman at the beginning of one episode, and then your allegiance may switch by the time the next episode ends. With Florence + the Machine’s Isabella Summers working at his side, the duo was able to intensify the most dramatic moments in this seemingly simple suburban tale. My favorite cue comes at the end of episode four.

Secrets aren’t safe in Shaker Heights–they are bound to come out. Isham and Summers have created a collection of music that urges even us to get involved with the events happening between the families. It’s a beautiful battle cry for us to pick a side.

[powerpress]

Note: Intro and exit music provided by Mark Isham from his score for Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere.