About Luke Hudson
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When I first listened to the accompanying soundtrack to Stranger Than Fiction, I had not yet seen the movie, nor had I previously listened in much depth to any of the artists featured on the album. As I listened, I immediately took to the songs despite my lack of experience. Never did I feel that uneasy hesitation as to the songs’ quality or significance. nstead I couldn’t help but think to myself, “This is what new music used to sound like.”
The songs, with only a couple of exceptions, feel fresh and energized. They give the impression of songs that could mean something, songs that a person could sing along to five years from now while scrolling through old music.
That said, not every song on this album is a success. Namely, Delta 5’s “Mind Your Own Business” reminds me of a Yoko Ono reincarnation, interesting in it’s own respect, worth a listen, but never suitable for an on-the-go playlist. Still, having now seen the movie, the song proves very instrumental in introducing Ana, the main character’s unexpected love interest. In any case you might find yourself reaching for the skip button on this one.
One very remarkable aspect of this soundtrack and the movie it accompanies is how the two compliment each other so well. In an era where the film musical takes a back seat in the average Hollywood lineup, a new breed of movies arises, most prominently in the indie-film, or at least the indie-minded film. With movies such as Magnolia, where the characters sing along to Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” whilst they conquer tremendous emotional turmoil, music serves to propel plotlines and illustrate the emotions of the characters. Stranger Than Fiction perfectly exemplifies this movement, thus adding a dimension to the music not found in the typical Hollywood flick.
From the energetic, guitar-driven anthems of Spoon, to the eerily serene instrumental number by Vangelis, this soundtrack constitutes both an almost flawless accompaniment to a brilliant movie and a substantial hunk of well-written, unencumbered music likely to find its way into your headphones time and time again.
Genre: Pop/Indie
Sounds like: the days when a three-dollar label compilation turned in your portable CD player for hours on end.
Best Songs: “Whole Wide World”, “The Book I Write”, “La Petite Fille De La Mer”
