'It's Kind of a Funny Story' Soundtrack

It’s Kind of a Funny Story is sure to be a favorite this year for many young, hip, Juno-type followers. With actors like Zach Galifianakis, Kier Gilchrist and Emma Roberts, the film is sure to tickle the funny bone of crowds everywhere. The trailer is invigorating, Galifianakis is funny, Gilchrist is charming in a dorky way and Roberts has grown into a beautiful girl. As the trailer unravels, there comes an auditory climax … Oh my God! But will the film’s original soundtrack live up to the hype that its trailer fashions?

The first thing that you will notice about the soundtrack is that it does not include Ida Maria’s “Oh My God”. This is the song that explodes into raw emotion during the trailer. The presence of her song within the trailer has caused Ida Maria to multiply her fan base within weeks. So why is there no Ida in the actual soundtrack? I’m not sure. In fact, there should have been.

Despite the lack of “Oh My God”, there is a hefty amount of pop and indie songs on the soundtrack. With bands such as The Middle East, Broken Social Scene and The Damned, the soundtrack should go hand in hand with the film in entertaining the indie crowd.

The soundtrack begins with the alluring sound of Broken Social Scene’s “Not At My Best”. It’s a cool, transient mood-setter that reminds us that the film is certainly geared toward a younger crowd. Immediately thereafter comes The Damned’s quick-paced rock ‘n’ roll attitude with “Smash It Up Pts 1 & 2”. The mood is lifted and yes, again reminiscent of adolescence.

As the album continues there is one consistency: the presence of youthful, light-hearted music. The soundtrack never strays from this form and therefore won’t reach across all age groups. It will be a great album for many and completely uninteresting for others.

There is one song that stands out and should transcend age groups and demographics; this is the cover of “Where Is My Mind” by Maxence Cyrin. It is an instrumental (purely piano) cover of the Pixies song. It is quiet, nostalgic and completely addicting.

The soundtrack is effective in radiating the emotion it seeks to evoke, but it lacks the rounded perfection of an iconic soundtrack and therefore won’t go down as one of the year’s greats. I’m sure many of the film and book’s patrons will seek out the album, enjoy it and eventually put it in their CD rack.

Fortunately, the soundtrack has great tracks by some under-the-radar artists.  This is the best aspect of the album; the opportunity to come in contact with some talented non-chart musicians.