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Bands soundtracking old movies can be a bit of a hit and miss scenario. Too often they fall into the trap of pretentious and dramatic flourishes and try to create an ambient or pseudo-classical sounding collection of music. British Sea Power have done just that but in their case they are working with a piece of film that calls for just that response.

Man Of Aran is a partly dramatised 1934 documentary about the people of the Aran Islands off the eastern coast of Ireland. Shot in stark black + white it tells the story of families fighting the elements and living off the land and ocean; harvesting potatoes and hunting basking sharks in wild seas.  Many of the practices seen in the film had long been stopped by the islanders so director Robert J. Flaherty used locals to act out many of the scenes where traditional methods, like the shark hunting, were used.

The documentary won the Grand Prix at the 1935 Venice Film Festival and British Sea Power have attempted to give the film a suitably grand musical soundtrack. They dispense with many of the rock trappings that characterise their sound and utilise piano, strings and haunting percussion and effects. In a nutshell this is post-rock of the Mogwai, Godspeed variety with some Dirty Three flourishes thrown in, especially when the tempo lifts during the steady build of The South Sound.

One of three 11 minute pieces, The South Sound is rich with measured, almost krautrock drumming and some incessant violin playing which heightens the mood. When heard with the accompanying DVD it reflects perfectly the wild and dramatic environment of the islands. The wind and waves crash and swirl, as does the music.

The DVD really is essential viewing as a piece of cinema and also to do justice to the music. Heard alone, it has its peaks like The South Sound but it can tend to drift a little too much and lose focus. With the stark monochromatic images adding another level to the music there is a real connection and the subtler passages become all the more effective.

The rise and fall of actions and emotions in the film are matched by the music. During the shark hunting scene the monstrous rollicking Spearing The Sunfish pounds on with barely controlled chaos before relief is found in the soothing and beautiful melodies of Coneely Of The West.

The final track No Man Is An Archipelago encapsulates all the themes and styles that British Sea Power use through the album. It swells with an epic sweep much like Mogwai and Sigur Ros at their finest and it symbolises the triumph over adversity theme that is at the centre of both the film and its music.

Experiencing the band playing the soundtrack live at a screening would no doubt be a moving experience but thankfully in this digital age we still get to experience what Flaherty and British Sea Power have created. It is a testament to both that the result works so well, even if the creation of their art is separated by 75 years.