By Taylor Long
It seems as though we’re seeing some changes in the basic soundtrack. Instead of asking bands that had a hit around the time the film was made to contribute, some are going the indie/emerging band route. This idea has worked well on the soundtrack for Zach Braff’s Garden State.
The soundtrack is composed of trip-hop and acoustic tunes, which seems like an awkward pairing at first. Surprisingly, these sounds blend well together to create an album of relaxing songs with themes of love and reflection.
The song by the one household name on the soundtrack, Coldplay’s opener, “Don’t Panic,” sounds promising at first. The listener thinks, “Is it possible? Has Coldplay modified its sound?” The answer, sadly, is no, and the song is ended abruptly.
Where Coldplay falters, The Shins pick up. The incorporation of “Caring Is Creepy” from the band’s debut, Oh, Inverted World!, is an inspired choice. Braff, executive producer for the soundtrack, certainly has a soft spot in his heart for that album, as its “New Slang” also appears.
Placed nicely inbetween the two Shins songs is trip-hop group Zero7’s tune, “In The Waiting Line,” which gets the mantra “Do you believe in what you see?” stuck in the listener’s head.
Colin Hay’s “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Get Over You” is a touching track about looking back on a love lost.”Your face it dances and it haunts me / your laughter’s still ringing in my ears / I still find pieces of your presence here / even after all these years.”
Unfortunately, the songs by Cary Brothers, Remy Zero and Nick Drake that follow are good, but forgettable, as they’re all the same exact style. “Lebanese Blonde” by Thievery Corporation is the needed pick-up, but would’ve benefited the other songs had it been moved up in the track list.
Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Only Living Boy In New York” serves as the standard “classic tune on a list of new favorites.” It fits into the lineup with grace and ease, proving again the duo’s timelessness.
The acoustic Iron and Wine cover of the Postal Service hit, “Such Great Heights” slips easily into the motif, though it would’ve been interesting to see how the original would’ve sounded mixed in.
The last songs suffer the same fate as the middle: good songs, but largely un-memorable based on where they are in the lineup. Braff did a quality job choosing songs for his directorial debut-but he should have fiddled with the organization more.
