Wednesday, September 30, 2009

"Where the Wild Things Are" Soundtrack

Karen O's "Where the Wild Things Are" Soundtrack dropped yesterday, and I cannot stop listening to it. It's SO GOOD! It's happy, funky, a little grungey, hip, and most importantly, it takes me back to the best parts of childhood and captures the vision of the "Where the Wild Things Are" story.

As my friends already know, Karen O is my favorite. I was totally stoked when I found out she was doing the soundtrack for this movie that I was already excited about. I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which she fronts, and when I saw them at APW this year, I put it in my all-time top three concerts. I think she's absolutely incredible, and even though she already has a following, I think even more people will see that when they see "Where the Wild Things Are" and listen to her music. The soundtrack lists "Karen O and The Kids" as the artist for each song, and members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deerhunter and the Raconteurs, among other bands, are featured. You can listen to it here on Spin.

The songs have sick drum beats, shouting in the background provided by Karen O and a children's choir, clapping (like in "Capsize"), and it's all just fun. Even "Animal," which has a darker, more tribal feel to it as Karen O screams in the background, is adventurous, and if I asked the 6-year-old version of me what I thought of it, I would say it was "cooool." I guess not much has changed.

"All is Love" is definitely my favorite song with a cheerful guitar riff and kids shouting in the background. At the end, Karen O keeps saying "is love, is love, is love," with the kids' choir coming in and ending with just the kids. It's brilliant.

The best part is that listening to this soundtrack feels like a real adventure, like the best pretend adventures you had as a kid. I'm sure the movie will have this effect, too, and I cannot wait for Oct. 16 when it's released. This soundtrack is a great way to tide us over. Perfect, actually.

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