by Chelsea Armstrong
Daily Lobo
A soundtrack can transform a good film into a great one.
Advertisements for the new film "In Good Company" illustrate a predictable feel-good story of family, friends and lovers.
Producer Kathy Nelson's soundtrack provides just the right enhancement to this story.
Veteran actor Dennis Quaid and his significantly younger boss, Topher Grace of "That 70s Show," battle over their love for the young and seemingly perfect Scarlett Johansson.
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The catch is Quaid's love is not romantic - he's Johansson's father.
What could easily be another Hollywood flop surprises audiences with two parallel coming-of-age stories with an unexpected and equally refreshing conclusion.
The eclectic soundtrack begins appropriately with David Byrne's "Glass, Concrete and Stone."
This piece starts off slow with a simple drumbeat and is later accompanied by soft maracas.
By the time Byrne's lyrics begin to flow, the mood has been set.
The perfect road-trip mix continues, with several interspersed tracks from Iron & Wine.
Listeners are sure to be impressed with freshly composed instrumentals by legend Stephen Trask.
Trask worked with conductor Damon Intrabartolo to create the right sound to accompany "In Good Company" with a full orchestra.
Nelson brings the soundtrack to a whole new level by throwing in classics, such as Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" and Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill."
It's a soundtrack audience members will notice immediately, and listening to the CD by itself will cause those cheesy warm and fuzzy emotions to return.
One disappointing factor is the absence of catchy tracks by Albuquerque's own The Shins, as well as Damian Rice.
Both songs stood out in the theater and were sadly missing from its soundtrack.
With classes back in full force, the soundtrack to "In Good Company" proves to be the perfect addition to a cup of coffee and a long study session.
In Good Company The Soundtrack
Grade: A-
