meandthestereo

Artist: Karen O and the Kids
Album: Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack
Label: DGC/Interscope
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Decision: 5/5
Favorite Tunes: Hideaway, Igloo, All is Love

1. The Background

Karen O has been noted for her sense of fashion and her outrageous antics during live performances.

She has composed the music for this soundtrack and co-produced it with Tom Biller of the Afternoons. “The Kids” include her Yeah Yeah Yeahs band mates Brian Chase and Nick Zinner, along with Tristan Bechet, Bradford Cox(Deerhunter), Dean Fertita, Aaron Hemphill (Liars), Greg Kurstin (The Bird and the Bee), Jack Lawrence, Oscar Michel (Gris Gris), and Imaad Wasif. An untrained choir of children was brought in to provide extra essence to the songs and soundscapes. These are a sprawling group of indie-rock all-stars.

2. The Substance

The imagination and freedom that Karen O shares in this music masterpiece is remarkable. She floats her ethereal vocals over clever folk-pop arrangements on the kind of acoustic instruments you might find in a child’s music class. Each song presents a different feel, incorporating all words and characters to fit the scene. “All is Love” is an uplifting song with a lot of punchy chords, energetic voices, and a piece in where everybody is clearly having a good time singing. You hear a lot of laughter, screams, and freedom to create.  “Capsize”, a feisty song in which the title is repeatedly spelled out, is full of determination to explore and conquer the unknown. My favorite song, “Hideaway”, is where you get to hear Karen O at her best on this album. Her voice is jazzy and simply alluring with the guitar to support and enhance her sound. The ongoing chords that are played create a picture of fantasy; the music is beautiful.

3. The Decision

5/5. If you love reading Where The Wild Things Are, you will enjoy the movie and the music that goes along with it. I took my niece to go see it this weekend and this is the first thing I immediately noticed. The voices, sound effects, and music just stuck out to me. The music had my attention just as much if not more than the movie. As I looked around the theater, I saw other little kids standing up and bopping their heads. This music has touched me in so many ways. When I hear it, I think of something from afar, escaping my problems, moving to another place, just plainly being happy. The whole soundtrack is on my playlist; I simply love it.