OST: Juno

OST: Juno / 2008 Rhino / 19 Tracks / http://www.foxsearchlight.com/juno /

Juno was one of the most highly rated new movies on any movie-specific web site, and one of the major reasons why individuals were so into the movie was the fact that the music fit so well. This soundtrack, released by Rhino, captures all of the music in the movie, and expands the compositions from the clips played in the film into full-length compositions. The disc is punctuated quite heavily with the contributions of Kimya Dawson, who reached prominence during eir stint in The Moldy Peaches. If there is a thread to be had beyond the low-fi, indie genre that all tracks have, it would be the efforts of Dawson.

Dawson’s music acts in another way on the music present during “Juno”; the soundtrack (composed by Mateo Messina, who individuals may remembers from scores of films such as Bondage, For Mature Audiences Only, Party Foul, and Little Man on Campus. The rest of the score bounces between the new and the old; tracks from acts such as Mott The Hoople (“All The Young Dudes”) and Buddy Holly (“Dearest”) mix with contemporary contributions like Cat Power’s “Sea of Love” and Sonic Youth’s “Superstar”. The eclecticism present during the soundtrack for Juno contributes to the “indie” vibe present in the movie. Bouncing back and forth between overall sounds and styles, “Juno” keeps individuals interested in ways that most normal soundtracks and scores do not.

While score and soundtrack collectors may look down at this soundtrack because of the inclusion of newer, less “popular” artists, I feel that this soundtrack is one of the strongest that I have had to review. Where soundtracks typically match up with the action in the movie, but are constrained by the style crafted by the composer, Juno’s soundtrack matches perfectly with the overall tone and approach taken by the film. While Matt/Mateo Messina may not be the best known composer as of yet, the extremely close linkage of film and music ensures that eir mailbox will be filling up quite quickly in the months and years to come. If you’ve not seen the film yet, make it a point to, and then listen to the soundtrack in its entirety. After doing that, the beauty and impressive nature of the soundtrack will really become prominent and prevalent to anyone that pays attention. Pick it up at your local (independent) store and see if you agree with me.

Top Tracks: Antsy Pants / Vampire, Kimya Dawson / Sleep

Rating: 8.0/10