By Various Artists, 2004

With his soundtrack for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jon Brion has carefully crafted music every bit as quirky (and fascinating) as the movie itself. As he did with Magnolia and Punch Drunk Love, Brion has made a varied score filled with odd instrumentation, infectious melodies, and at least one or two near-perfect pop songs. Best of all, these offbeat tracks compliment the movie incredibly well, and stand on their own as great listening.

Mood-wise, this soundtrack is all over the map: "Row" is a simple, haunting piano solo; the movie's opening theme sounds like the austere and melancholic notes of an antique music box; while the strings on "Drive In" are playful and inquisitive. Even the non-instrumental tracks are gems: Beck's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" and Brion's "Strings That Tie You" rank among these artists' best songs. A handful of well-chosen tracks from E.L.O., the Polyphonic Spree, and the Willowz rounds out this thought provoking disc.

A gem. --Jason Verlinde

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