Reviews - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [by Original Soundtrack, CD, ...

With his soundtrack for <I>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</I>, Jon Brion has carefully crafted music every bit as quirky (and fascinating) as the movie itself. As he did with <I>Magnolia</I>... more

With his soundtrack for <I>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</I>, Jon Brion has carefully crafted music every bit as quirky (and fascinating) as the movie itself. As he did with <I>Magnolia</I> and <I>Punch Drunk Love</I>, Brion has made a varied score filled with odd instrumentation, infectious melodies, and at least one or two near-perfect pop songs. Best of all, these offbeat tracks compliment the movie incredibly well, and stand on their own as great listening. Mood-wise, this soundtrack is all over the map: "Row" is a simple, haunting piano solo; the movie's opening theme sounds like the austere and melancholic notes of an antique music box; while the strings on "Drive In" are playful and inquisitive. Even the non-instrumental tracks are gems: Beck's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" and Brion's "Strings That Tie You" rank among these artists' best songs. A handful of well-chosen tracks from E.L.O., the Polyphonic Spree, and the Willowz rounds out this thought provoking disc. A gem. <I>--Jason Verlinde</I> less