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A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack - Interscope
Rahman obviously did something right, since this set just scooped up a couple of Academy Awards. But even more so than those accolades, this music fits the film perfectly, which is the whole point of a movie soundtrack. Rahman’s compositions and selections move the film and move with the film, from the hip-hop-meets-Bollywood zip of “O... Saya” and the remix of M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” to the poppy appeal of “Liquid Dance” to the danceable fun of “Jai Ho.” There are slower moments here, too, namely “Dreams on Fire” and the pretty and serene “Latika’s Theme” - and it all works together so well, it’s easy to see why this soundtrack is an award-winner.



Various Artists - The Watchmen: Music from the Motion Picture - Reprise
One of the most unusual and distinctive things about the soundtrack for The Watchmen - the film about superheroes that takes place in an alternate-history United States - is that the music is just as quirky and varied as the superheroes themselves. The tracklisting - as befits the movie’s storyline - veers wildly between quietly dark, thoughtful numbers (Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’”) to tunes that really move and propel the screenplay along (KC and the Sunshine Band’s “I’m Your Boogie Man,” the Budapest Symphony’s “Ride of the Valkyries”), but the real trick is making the set cohesive. And that it is.



Various Artists - Mamma Mia! Original Soundtrack - Decca
Meryl Streep? Colin Firth? Pierce Brosnan? Who knew any of these people (well, perhaps Streep, who seems to be able to accomplish anything in film) could sing at all? But sing they do, in this movie adaptation of the musical all about the Swedish supergroup ABBA. This isn’t particularly impressive songwriting, but it’s definitely fun pop music, with zippy beats and campy harmonies. Streep stands out on “Dancing Queen” and the title track, while Pierce Brosnan brings a slightly awkward but character-befitting interpretation to “S.O.S.” Firth sings his way nicely through “Our Last Summer,” and Amanda Seyfried and Christine Baranski also turn in surprisingly good tunes.



Various Artists - Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog - Mutant Enemy
If you like quirky, well-written musical tragicomedies, then you need to know about Dr. Horrible. Put together by Joss Whedon and featuring the likes of Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, and Neil Patrick Harris, this original cast recording is entertaining on its own, and even more so once you watch the short film it accompanies (viewable for free online at www.drhorrible.com.) Both Fillion and Harris deliver unexpectedly great, witty musical performances, and the whole thing is put together in a remarkably professional fashion for something that was initially developed as a mere internet novelty. Standouts include Harris’ “My Freeze Ray” and Fillion’s “Everyone’s a Hero.”
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