The best soundtracks do two jobs at once: They provide music that stands enjoyably alone while also calling to mind moments from favorite films. By that measure, Howard Shore's beautifully evocative score for the last chapter in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's classic is the best soundtrack of the year. Pippin's lament, sung with tender sadness by Billy Boyd, is here, too, as well as the snippet of ancient poetry sung by Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn. And if you're like me, you'll never be able to get through Annie Lennox's performance of "Into the West" ("Across the sea / A pale moon rises / The ships have come / To carry you home") without bawling. [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
Rousing, seaworthy music, plus all those lovely pieces that Aubrey and Maturin play together. Makes me feel like I'm sailing aboard the H.M.S Surprise. [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
Danny Elfman puts a harder edge on his usual sound and throws in some primitive rhythms, too, on pieces like "Captured" and "Hulk's Freedom," suggesting the elemental in the transformed Bruce Banner. And somehow, the "Main Title" DNA music just sounds like a comic book. [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
This odd and beautiful collection of vaguely Euro alterna-pop doesn't sound birdlike, which is why it's so remarkably memorable -- it's exactly what you wouldn't expect to hear juxtaposed, in the film, with all that imagery of flight, and so you can't forget it. I love Nick Cave's "To Be by Your Side." [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
Sexy and lush, Mark Isham's jazzy-smooth and very tasty score is like danger in a bottle. Add tunes crooned by the likes of Diana Krall and "Can I Steal a Little Love?," Joey Fatone's take on Harry Connick Jr., and this is Vegas, baby! [buy at Amazon.com]
A delicately poignant collection of songs that beautifully complement a delicately poignant film. The dainty techno-electronica has an alien quality that replicates the emotional strandedness of the film's characters, and even the more rockin' pieces have something indefinably peculiar to them. If you let the CD keep playing after the last listed track, you'll come Bill Murray's rendition of Bryan Ferry's "More Than This," from the karaoke scene. [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
Great assortment of love pop, from Dido, Norah Jones, The Pointer Sisters, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, and more, with nary a sentimental one among them, mirroring the delightful bittersweetness of the film. Plus, and this really is a great bonus, there's "Billy Mack"'s horribly catchy "crap" Christmas tune, "Christmas Is All Around," sung by Bill Nighy. [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
Christopher Guest's brilliant company goes folksy. You can't not love it. Every genre of folk gets put through the wringer: there's the Jebus tune "The Good Book Song" by "The New Main Street Singers," the politically aware "Skeletons of Quinto" (including interlude sung in Spanish, of course) by "The Folksmen," the sad-love-story of "The Ballad of Bobby and June" by "Mitch & Mickey," and of course, the high folksy goofiness of "Potato's in the Paddy Wagon" by TNMSS. Not in the film but included here: The Folksmen do The Rolling Stones, and it's too hilarious to do justice to it with mere words. [my review of the film][buy at Amazon.com]
