Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler has generally been more successful at creating images through his music than through his lyrics. Often, he has had to struggle to convey with words that which a casual gesture or a sly smile might communicate effortlessly. On Local Hero, however, Knopfler was relieved of the lyric-writing burden, and the result is an insinuating LP of charming, cosmopolitan soundtrack music – a record that can make movies in your mind.

The pastoral sentiments of the film–the story is about a Scottish fishing village faced with the prospect of being purchased by a U.S. oil company – find expression in Knopfler's bittersweet synthesizer motif, a recurring series of sounds that echo old folk themes and bring to mind feelings of regret and longing. By contrast, the exuberant, bustling spirit of the oilmen is represented by the revved-up rock & roll of "Freeway Flyer," with its chicken-scratching lead guitar, and the wistful, jazzy "Boomtown," which recalls Pat Metheny. "The Ceilidh: Louis' Favourite/Billy's Tune" could be described as a French-flavored, Tex-Mex jig; it serves as an effective aural symbol of the merger of two different cultures in the film. And "Going Home" is the movie's anthemic finale, ranking among Knopfler's strongest compositions of late. Local Hero proves that Mark Knopfler can handle multiple images, cinematic leitmotifs and thematic color with ease. Now, let's hope he makes a great Dire Straits LP. (RS 396)

CHIP STERN