Is there any reason not to be frivolously overexcited for Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are? Aside from perfect casting and acrobatic wild things, the upcoming film will feature a potential gold mine of a soundtrack.
The soundtrack features original songs by Karen O and the Kids. The “Kids” part of the band’s title comprises several artists, including Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, Aaron Hemphill of Liars, and Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita of the Raconteurs. Odd choices? Maybe. But, given some thought, Karen O and her “Kids” are surprisingly relevant picks for front woman and following. Considering her band Yeah Yeah Yeah’s track record 8212; specifically swaggering singles such as “Gold Lion” and “Zero” in contrast to the poignancy of “Maps” 8212; Karen O might be one of the only artists to simultaneously embody both the sweetness and attitude of Sendak’s story. And with the help of her “Kids,” she just might blow us all out of the water.
As movies become increasingly co-dependent on the production and networking it takes to build audience interest, movie soundtracks seem to be taking on an entity all their own. Forget sweeping orchestration and Oscar-contender scores; nowadays it seems that carefully thought out compilations and a stellar collection of artists result in far more idiosyncratic soundtracks. That is, Jonze’s choice to enlist a household name such as Karen O (disregard the fact she’s his ex) reveals his attention to the collective success of a film, his ability to hand over the reins to collaboration rather than dictate a faceless orchestra and his attitude that an element as traditionally secondary as soundtracks can be monumental are all signs that point to an incredible film.
