“11th Hour Blues” is one of these more traditional tracks, with that swinging rhythm and those carefree guitar riffs.
The tracks on the album alternate composers on a pretty regular basis for every avant-garde blues track that cobbles together a new set of instruments, an equally traditional blues track follows it up. The track’s uniqueness makes it a strong opener for the soundtrack, bringing a distinct personality and instrumentation to the music. The unlikely combination of instruments, especially on this particular track, immediately gives a distinctly rich and warm sound. The very first track, “New Bordeaux,” is saturated with a bluesy sound that features a swung guitar pattern and a beautiful, dark cello. While the soundtrack is still filled with the rich instrumentation of previous soundtracks, Harlin and Bonney bring a strong blues vibe to this installation in the series, giving Mafia III a separate identity from the first two games. Mafia III, which brings in composers Jesse Harlin and Jim Bonney, takes a new approach with their score.
The past scores of Mafia have had a strong Hollywood influence, filled with high-quality, dark orchestral music.