The soundtrack for the film “Where the Wild Things Are,” released Sept. 29, exemplifies a classic dilemma – should a stand on its own merits or must the film be seen in order to fully appreciate it?
Without the context of seeing the Spike Jonze’s piece, we’re left with the memory of Maurice Sendak’s bedtime classic and his young hero Max’s unbridled spirit. Whether or not Karen O captures that its sense of on this album is open to debate.
But it is consistent, with something of a mood swing in the middle with the appropriately titled “Cliffs.” By the end, the buoyant hope of “Sailing Home” invokes visions of a half pint paper-crowned Ulysses.
But as a whole, the album lacks a real story arc. Its playful tone and sing-along melodies are fine for the toddler set. Whether or not you crank it in I.V. as a hangover helper depends on how much of a true Wild Thing is alive in you.
