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Every once in a while a movie will come along that is so linked with its soundtrack that the memorable images are always accompanied by that perfect song. Alternately, that song will never live down its moment on the silver screen.
Garden State is a movie that competes toe-to-toe with its soundtrack as to which has more impact. Having not seen the movie nor heard the soundtrack, it is fitting that I am reviewing The State I'm In, a disc inspired by, but as the tiny letters on the liner notes say, "Is not a soundtrack album and is not affiliated with the motion picture Garden State or the soundtrack album from that motion picture."
There is absolutely nothing new on this compilation, but the varying cast of characters, ranging from The Velvet Underground to The Commodores is an interesting idea for a hipster's mix tape.
The one band that really should have been bigger, The Velvet Underground, provide the beautiful, and nearly 40 year old, "Sunday Morning". Followed by the band that benefited most from the unending buzz surrounding the movie soundtrack, Frou Frou.
David Bowie's "Sound & Vision" gets an electronica makeover by The Sea and Cake while the Yeah Yeah Yeahs dust off their breakthrough, "Maps". The All Seeing I cop Sonny and Cher on "The Beat Goes On" and Lionel Richie croons "Three Times a Lady".
Cat Stevens shouldn't have found religion, evidenced by his inclusion of the near perfect "The Wind".
The State I'm In contains some absolute gems. You may actually begin to forget how much of a slimy cash-in this really is. But, it is an extremely well done slimy cash-in, and anything that can turn the kids on to Loud Reed, Lionel Richie, Cat Stevens and some worthy younger bands can't be all that bad.
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