A lot has been said about Hayao Miyzaki’s The Boy and The Heron, but comparatively little about the music that accompanies it. Heron is a semi-autobiographical piece that sees Miyazaki getting unusually personal as he ruminates on his relationships with his closest collaborators at Studio Ghibli. Absent from the film is a character representation of Joe Hisaishi, the prolific composer that’s scored every single Miyazaki production for Ghibli—but that’s not to say he hasn’t left his mark. Hisaishi shows his adaptability by matching the emotional depth of the film with one of his finest works. It’s mostly sparse and atmospheric, with occasional moments of oppressive discord to punctuate the flares of sudden intensity. Miyazaki is doubtless a challenging director to work for, and Hisaishi rises to the task every time.