Juno OST
Michael Cera and Ellen Page star in the acclaimed comedy.
Thursday, 17, Jan 2008 10:43
Rhino Records, out January 28th.
In a Nutshell...
Indie, folk, desperate pop tunes
What's it all about?
This is the soundtrack to the 'little' film about teenage pregnancy which is receiving rave reviews from the critics. The majority of the tunes are by former Moldy Peaches member, Kimya Dawson. The songs are in general soft, light, and a little folksy. The other artists involved in the compilation include the Kinks, Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Buddy Holly and the Velvet Underground. The film's main stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera even pop up to cover the Moldy Peaches song Anyone Else But You as the last track on the album. There are 19 tracks in total, aiming to capture the essence of this sweet coming of age story.
Who are they?
Kimya Dawson is best known as the female member, alongside Adam Green, of the Moldy Peaches. Since the band split up she has released home-made solo albums as well performing on Antsy Pants albums. Dawson's songs have featured in the films The Guatemalan Handshake and Glue. The score for Juno was also based on a selection of her songs.
As an example...
"You're a part time lover, and a full time friend... "
"Here is the church, and here is the steeple, we sure are cute for two ugly people." - Anyone Else But You - Michael Cera and Ellen Page
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
This collection of songs will no doubt excite fans of the film and teenage girls who find things, such as the two main characters 'singing', sweet. Whilst the film is collecting Golden Globe nominations, the soundtrack will struggle to receive any awards, although it did reach number eight on the Billboard Top 200 in the US in its first week of release (and has now climbed to third - Entertainment Editor).
What others say:
"A journey that bounces and sways from the heart of bedrock classic rock to the outskirts of oddball indie-folk." - The Hub
"Dawson's quirky little ditties have a way of making you forget their faults, which in turn helps the whole soundtrack avoid being rote and formulaic." - Prefixmag.com
So is it any good?
The collection of songs on this album are supposed to be touching and heartwarming, thereby reflecting the charming nature of the film. However, on their own and for those who haven't watched the film, the music on offer here is extremely poor. Dawson's songs are terribly amateurish with ridiculous and childish lyrics. This is music aimed at emotional 13-year-old girls and no-one else. The only good track on the entire album is Mott the Hoople's All The Young Dudes, though the Belle & Sebastian songs are also a welcome addition.
Now understandably the closing song of the film should probably be the closing song on the soundtrack, but in this case you wished the producers hadn't bothered. The final piece of music, if you can call it that, to be played on this album is a truly awful attempt by lead actors Cera and Page to cover a Moldy Peaches song. The fact they can't sing is bad enough but the fact that the original was terrible in the first place (we are subjected to that version two songs previously too) makes the whole thing an utter mess.
There is nothing exciting, original or more importantly, good on offer in any of the Dawson tracks that make up the majority of this album. It is left to other artists to try and save the compilation, but any positives gained are totally destroyed by the calamitous last song. This then is a complete damp squid and will not appeal to anyone with any kind of musical taste or in fact, basic hearing.
2/10
Richard James