X-Files fans--have you ever heard of "The Truth and The Light: Music From The X-Files?"

This collection of crisp electronic music mixed with bits of character dialogue will well please X-Files fans; those unfamiliar with the long-running sci-fi show have a chance to discover just how well an intensely eerie television score can stand on its own. Soundtrack master Mark Snow has done other scores for TV, but the X-Files is his most outstanding work. Right off the bat this CD transports you into the world of agents Mulder and Scully and the supernatural or extraterrestrial mysteries they uncover. The haunting, melodious whistle theme; the slow-moving walls of melancholy electronica; the ominous, urgent rhythms written for action scenes all recall the dark, spooky atmosphere that the X-Files program has so expertly created and maintained. There's also an ocean of dialogue to explore here, which for some may be distracting, but for others will bring back the suspenseful and sometimes horrific images from particular episodes. Overall, the dialogue is presented in a subdued enough way that it doesn't stand out oddly and oftentimes just reinforces the creepy intrigue that is the show's most wonderful quality. Recommended. --Karen Karleski