“Brave” isn’t Doyle’s first time aiming at a cartoon bull’s eye, having done yeoman musical work on 1998’s QUEST FOR CAMELOT and 2008’s IGOR. Not only does Merida’s shooting skill outrage her highland clansmen and intended suitors, but her unbreakable will also ends up incurring a witch’s ursine curse- the rampaging results of which provide the slings and arrows for Doyle’s adventurously rousing, and emotional approach that’s the ultimate salute to his homeland. Like all modern, high-born Disney heroines, this red hair rebels against the chauvinist-conformist path set by her well-meaning royal parents, with her archery skills representing the sharply pointed spirit of her determination. Album DescriptionIf there’s one picture that Patrick Doyle was fated to be the composer of, then it’s no contest that movie is BRAVE, Pixar’s animated salute to all things Scottish in the form of a feisty lass named Merida. See More Your browser does not support the audio element.

Though Fowlis often sings in Scots Gaelic, she sounds just as soaring and sweet in English on 'Touch the Sky' and 'Into the Open Air' likewise, Birdy - accompanied by folk-rock sensations Mumford & Sons - channels Merida's longing for freedom and wide-open spaces in 'Learn Me Right.' The princess' mom and dad get in on the act too, with Billy Connolly leading the cast through 'Song of Mor'Du,' a rousing song about a local monster, while Emma Thompson and Peigi Barker sing the lovely lullaby 'Noble Maiden Fair (A Mhaighdean Bhan Uasal).' Meanwhile, Doyle's score embellishes its orchestral pieces with plenty of pipes, fiddles, and lilting melodies, particularly on 'Fate and Destiny' and 'Merida's Home,' but also delivers some wonderfully cartoony moments with 'The Games' and 'Through the Castle,' and downright tense cues such as 'Merida Rides Away' and 'Not Now!' Judged purely on its musical merits, Brave might not be the most memorable of Pixar soundtracks, but it maintains the studio's reputation for creative and fitting details in every part of its productions. Instead, Brave's songs make the most of the film's girl-power sentiments and Celtic setting with Patrick Doyle's lively score and songs performed by the cast, as well as Scottish folksinger Julie Fowlis and English singer/songwriter Birdy.

However, as Brave's soundtrack reveals, the movie is also noteworthy for being one of the studio's most musical films, especially for one not featuring music by Pixar's go-to songwriter Randy Newman. Brave drew attention for being Pixar's first film to feature a female protagonist, the headstrong, flame-haired Scottish princess Merida.

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