Review for Garden State Soundtrack
Grammy Award Winning OST Showcases Indie at its Best
Apr 20, 2009
It is no surprise that producer and screenwriter Zach Braff’s CD compilation for the Garden State soundtrack was awarded a Grammy for Best Compilation for a Motion Picture.
With 13 stellar tracks to the OST, Braff has put together a mix CD that has become as much a part of the film as the brilliant idiosyncrasies and awkward but playful moments that the indie film is known for.
Soundtrack to Characters’ Lives
The film’s budget had made getting the songs Braff handpicked difficult. Yet it was a good thing he was able to get them, because the CD has intentionally, or unintentionally become a soundtrack to the character’s lives.
In an early scene, Sam hands over her headsets to Andrew, which was playing the Shins’ “New Slang”, and said, “You gotta hear this one song—it’ll change your life; I swear.” “Caring is Creepy”, another song off the Shins’ first album, Oh, Inverted World’s opening track, also adds very much to the soundtrack’s intimate feel.
Summary
Prescribed and diagnosis by his very own father, Andrew has been on meds since adolescence. Ever since the tragic accident where his mother was paralyzed, Andrew has been harboring the family’s dark past.
But now the secret's out, and Andrew is slowly reclaiming his life. Discarding his meds, Andrew finds himself in a better place. He regains the emotions he has been missing throughout his life, and in doing so regains his self and identity.
Rife with Irony
The irony in this film is rife. One of the opening scenes to the film shows Andrew in front of his packed medicinal cabinet and then the scene transitions into the usual LA traffic. Coldplay’s “Don’t Panic”, is playing in the background and the odd juxtaposition of the scene and the lines, “It’s a beautiful world”, showcases the irony that is prevalent throughout the film.
Another instance would have to be when Andrew is dressed in a shirt a friend of the family had asked him to try on which matches exactly the background of the frame. Such scenes makes for a worthwhile treat in the film.
Tracks off the Soundtrack
“Lebanese Blond” from Thievery Corporation plays itself in the scene where it appears Andrew, Sam, and Mark are about to barge themselves into a drug bust. The first few opening notes of the sitar and the synchronizing of slow mode in the scene made for an apt juxtaposition between the characters’ determined state and the way the scene gets played out.
The soundtrack also brings such classics as Nick Drake’s “One of These Things First” and the Iron and Wine’s quiet remake of the Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” back into the public’s foray.
It is almost epic the way the film’s soundtrack seems to seamlessly follow the characters’ lives, narrating the character’s motivations and intentions. This selection into the eclectic definitely showcases indie sounds at its best.
