About A Boy [Soundtrack]

Badly Drawn boy tackled a different kind of project in this album -- the soundtrack for the amusing movie adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, "About A Boy." His blend of melodic folk-pop and all-too-brief instrumentals are just like the novel -- bright, breezy and subtle. What's even better? "About A Boy Soundtrack" is just as good when separated from the film.

It opens with a sunny piano melody, just a cute little ditty that doesn't last half a minute. Then it shifts into the mellow, sharp keyboard pop of "A Peak You Reach," before blossoming into a blend of poppy folk (the soothing "Something To Talk About" and fun "River Sea Ocean") and folky pop (the slightly eerie "Silent Sigh and bouncy "File Me Away").

Sprinkled through these are instrumental interludes, some less than a minute long. But despite their brevity, these little instrumentals manage to feel well-rounded and full. One a particular highlight is "Delta (Little Boy Blues)," an enchanting pop tune augmented by horns and what sounds like an organ.

No wonder Nick Hornby wanted Badly Drawn Boy (real name: Damon Gough) for the soundtrack to "About a Boy." While there are occasional lapses -- "S.P.A.T" is a fragmented electronic mess -- the mellow, autumnal sound of this soundtrack is just entrancing. Yes, the Hugh Grant movie about a Peter-Pannish thirtysomething was good -- but the music alone is a prize.

Gough is to be commended for having his songs "flow" into one another -- it feels a bit like a sprawling, many-toned song that has been carefully divided into bits and pieces, then stitched back together. It doesn't have the experimental feel of his non-soundtrack albums, but the delicate piano, guitar, strings, harmonica and blazing brass blend into a smooth, mellow sound.

Gough's voice sounds sort of... well, timid, as if he doesn't want to make it too prominent in the music. But his voice is a pleasant voice, almost childlike in its exuberance and emotion. Which makes his sometimes melancholy songs sound even more so, when he sings almost pleadingly, "Silent sigh, silent sigh silent sigh/Keeps down all move me down/Could we love each other?"

It's no "Hour of Bewilderbeast." Instead, this breezy pop album is "About A Boy," a "bewilderbeast" in its own category. Badly Drawn Boy's second release is a thoroughly pretty, sweet and often entrancing creation. Bravo, Damon.

BDB is incredible. He shows his talent and versatility in this album, which is SO much more than your typical soundtrack. If you've seen the movie, you will realize how much his songs reflect the mood and plot. However, even if you haven't, it stands alone as a wonderful album. Kudos to one of the ONLY original artists on the music scene today!

This is the fourth BDB album I've bought and it's simply an amazingly brillant piece of musicianship. I've listened to this album a ridiculous amount of times and I never cease to enjoy every song on here. BDB finds a perfect balance mixing quirky instrumental tracks with an equal number of wonderful vocal pieces, creating an album rarely surpassed by musicians today. With enticing lyrics and catchy tunes, the soundtrack to "About a Boy" will please its buyers and delight any who take a moment to listen to BDB work his magic.

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