Various Artists

(500) Days of Summer: Music From the Motion Picture

(Sire)

Record Review by Kevan Peterson

Movie soundtracks have a distinct advantage over, say, four guys in a garage when trying to create a memorable and dynamic album, as they can pick from centuries of music to match their mood.  In the case of (500) Days of Summer, Music From the Motion Picture, the agenda is quite clear and specific.  As the opening lines of the movie state “This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront this is not a love story.”  So to, the soundtrack is a collection of songs about love, but not necessarily love songs.

The album kicks off with a short clip from the film before launching into Regina Spektor’s “Us,” which plays so perfectly to the tone of the film, one would almost suspect it was written specifically for it, as opposed to pre-dating the film;s release by four years.  Spektor later delivers “Hero,” to similar results.

The Smiths, who are prominently featured in a few of the film's key scenes, even being mentioned by name, eat up two more tracks with “There is a Light That Never Goes Out,” and “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.”  Already known by many to be great songs for a broken heart, the soundtrack takes time to introduce The Smiths to a set of new ears and keep their catalog alive and undoubtedly on high rotation on many twenty-somethings' playlists, twenty-something years after the tunes initial release.

Black Lips adds a danceable punk-ish tune to the line up with “Bad Kids.”  Doves make an appearance with one of their early tunes, “There Goes the Fear,” originally off their sophomore album The Last Broadcast, one of the better albums to come out in 2002.  Hall & Oates provide the comic relief in the film and the light hearted fare on the soundtrack with “You Make My Dreams,” one of the few songs that may just be a full-fledged love song.

Playing counter to the upbeat track that precedes it, Australian band The Temper Trap provide “Sweet Disposition,” originally released as a free single on iTunes; the track has gone on to be featured in several commercials throughout the world.  Carla Bruni speaks the language of love with French tune “Quelqu’un M’a Dit”

Feist’s wonderfully compelling track “Mushaboom,” named after Mushaboom, Nova Scotia, is a welcome addition to any soundtrack with its simple hand-clap rhythms and easy melodies.  Simon & Garfunkel make a fitting appearance with “Bookends,” as Tom Hansen, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt is said to have had a gross misreading of The Graduate at a young age.  Coincidentally, co-star Zooey Deschanel in the unrelated film Almost Famous has an in-depth conversation regarding the original album.

Wolfmother contribute a slightly psychedelic, fuzzed out track “Vagabond” while Mumm-Ra counter with the clean and poppy “She’s Got You High.”  Meaghan Smith delivers the '80s-feeling, but recently recorded “Here Comes Your Man,” originally recorded by The Pixes.  The studio would have been harshly criticized had it not included at least one contribution by star Zooey Deschanel’s band She & Him.  Here they cover The Smiths “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want.”  Deschanel’s vocals sound more haunting than usual.  A true talent, she delivers so passionately to both the film and the soundtrack, there is no doubt you’ll want to spend more than just 500 days with this album.