2008 Woodie Awards
Juno soundtrack heavy on whimsy
Erin Shea
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Entertainment
03/06/08 - The "Juno" soundtrack plays much like the movie from which it's taken: slightly disjointed and quirky, and full of heart.
From the moment Barry Louis Polisar opens the album with the line, "If I was a flower growing wild and free/All I'd want is you to be my sweet honeybee," you know it's going to be a fun ride.
Songs like Buddy Holly's "Dearest" and Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" fit in nicely with newer songs like Kimya Dawson's "Tire Swing."
That's not to say the soundtrack is perfect. Some of the songs, most notably Sonic Youth's cover of "Superstar," fit well in the context of the movie, but seem out of place on the soundtrack. The CD as a whole though, captures the essence of the film with its sweet songs.
Kimya Dawson and her bands, The Moldy Peaches and Antsy Pants, contributed heavily to the soundtrack, singing slightly off-key songs that are whimsical and innocent, much like Juno and Paulie Bleeker.
The childlike honesty and simplicity of the songs fit with the characters' unabashed oddity. Lyrics like "I was quiet as a mouse/When I snuck into your house/And took roofies with your spouse" and "I like my new bunny suit/When I wear it I feel cute" exist in the same song and it's these curious details that make the songs so perfect for the offbeat comedy.
The Velvet Underground contributes a similar track to the Juno soundtrack, called "I'm Sticking With You," although their contribution shows more musical talent than any of Kimya Dawson's and slightly less charm.
Not all of these attempts at innocent whimsy work well though. One of Antsy Pants' contributions, "Vampire," well… sucks.
The ridiculousness of the track overpowers any whimsy it might contain. The chorus "I am a vampire/I am a vampire/And I've lost my fangs" is amusing on first listen, but quickly becomes grating by the end of the short song.
Other songs, like Cat Power's cover of "Sea of Love" or Belle and Sebastian's "Expectations," are more polished, and add some weight to the very light album. Although they are light-hearted songs, they simply don't sound as much like they could be children's songs.
The "Juno" soundtrack encompasses everything fans love about the movie and is almost as uplifting and charming as the film itself, despite a few hiccups. But for a film about "growing up and the bumps along the way" I guess that's to be expected.
From the moment Barry Louis Polisar opens the album with the line, "If I was a flower growing wild and free/All I'd want is you to be my sweet honeybee," you know it's going to be a fun ride.
Songs like Buddy Holly's "Dearest" and Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes" fit in nicely with newer songs like Kimya Dawson's "Tire Swing."
That's not to say the soundtrack is perfect. Some of the songs, most notably Sonic Youth's cover of "Superstar," fit well in the context of the movie, but seem out of place on the soundtrack. The CD as a whole though, captures the essence of the film with its sweet songs.
Kimya Dawson and her bands, The Moldy Peaches and Antsy Pants, contributed heavily to the soundtrack, singing slightly off-key songs that are whimsical and innocent, much like Juno and Paulie Bleeker.
The childlike honesty and simplicity of the songs fit with the characters' unabashed oddity. Lyrics like "I was quiet as a mouse/When I snuck into your house/And took roofies with your spouse" and "I like my new bunny suit/When I wear it I feel cute" exist in the same song and it's these curious details that make the songs so perfect for the offbeat comedy.
The Velvet Underground contributes a similar track to the Juno soundtrack, called "I'm Sticking With You," although their contribution shows more musical talent than any of Kimya Dawson's and slightly less charm.
Not all of these attempts at innocent whimsy work well though. One of Antsy Pants' contributions, "Vampire," well… sucks.
The ridiculousness of the track overpowers any whimsy it might contain. The chorus "I am a vampire/I am a vampire/And I've lost my fangs" is amusing on first listen, but quickly becomes grating by the end of the short song.
Other songs, like Cat Power's cover of "Sea of Love" or Belle and Sebastian's "Expectations," are more polished, and add some weight to the very light album. Although they are light-hearted songs, they simply don't sound as much like they could be children's songs.
The "Juno" soundtrack encompasses everything fans love about the movie and is almost as uplifting and charming as the film itself, despite a few hiccups. But for a film about "growing up and the bumps along the way" I guess that's to be expected.