Where The Wild Things Are Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Original Songs By Karen O And The Kids

Comment: I saw the movie of WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE when it came out in theatres in October 2009. I thought the film was a solid adaptation and expansion that remained true to the spirit of the original story by Maurice Sendak. There are some very impressive visuals in the movie, but for me the thing I remembered most was the music. The movie soundtrack features original (mostly) songs by Karen O and the Kids. Before seeing the movie, I had never heard of Karen O, but apparently she's the lead vocalist for a band called the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I might check out some of their work now because I was so impressed by her vocals on WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. The tracks on this album are a perfect compliment to the film. The songs capture the vibrant enthusiasm, youthful energy, and childlike questioning that is at the heart of the tone and mood of the movie. I have some favorite tracks on the album, including "Igloo", "All Is Love", "Capsize", "Building All Is Love", and "Sailing Home". However, all of the songs flow quite well together; they're more akin to movements than separate pieces, and you can listen to the entire album without realizing that you've heard 14 different tunes. Children, especially those who have seen the film, will probably enjoy the album, but there's a lot here that adults will appreciate perhaps even more.

Comment: My daughter begged for this for Christmas - and was not disappointed. She has practically worn the CD out. Really interesting stuff.

Comment: Well, my 10 yr old and I saw this movie over the 2009 Xmas vacation, and emerged from the theatre quite bedazzled, the musical themes still sounding in our ears. Soon after, we visited friends at cape Schanck, on the southern tip of mainland Australia and they indicated where the location for the movie was on adjacent Bushrangers Bay. And, what a spot! The perfect scene for the Wild Things worried world. Inspite of childhood years in similar T-tree underbrush I'd never transposed Sendak's tale to these environs. The film clearly thrilled my daughter, as it would have me at her age. But its the soundtrack that remains playing between my ears. It's brilliantly enmeshed with the moods of the film and yet bouyant enough to stand alone. Well done Karen O and the Kids!

Comment: The music is as eloquent as it is touching. It is equal parts sentimental and fun, and it certainly strengthened the film. A great purchase on vinyl.

Comment: 2009 turned out to be quite the year for Karen O (singer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs): earlier in the year the YYYs released their most successful album to date (the outstanding "It's Blitz!"), and in late September the soundtrack to "Where the Wild Things Are" was released as "original songs by Karen O and the Kids". I didn't want to pick this up until I had had an opportunity to see the movie, which I finally did over the year-end holidays.

"Where The Wild Things Are" (14 tracks; 40 min.) brings a collage of songs and sounds featured in the movie, some instrumentals, some with vocals, some short, some longer, it's all over the place (and this is not a complaint, mind you). This is not "music inspired by", no, it's the actual songs used in the movie (well, all-but-one: "Capsize" was not in the movie). As to who "the Kids" are, Karen O. calls on her YYYs bandmates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, as well as Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, among others, and then there are of course a bunch of singing kids of many of the songs. If you've seen the movie, you know the songs are free-flowing, mostly folksy but joyous, if not boisterous and it just all flows together so well. "All Is Love" was released as a radio single, and as such can be termed the "must-listen" track on here, but truth be told, this soundtrack is an "ensemble" listening experience in which no track is better or worse than the next one. The 40 min. zip by in no time, and you really won't remember if you're on track 7 or 10 or such thing.

This soundtrack isn't meant for the masses, to be honest. It's a slightly off-center soundtrack to a slightly off-center movie, albeit in the most delightful way. And a TRUE soundtrack, in tune with the mood of the movie (one might even argue it partly creates the mood of the movie). I absolutely love this soundtrack. Finally, if you wonder where you can actually hear this, check out WOXY (BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll), the internet-only station that brings the best indie-music in the country, bar none.