Shrek 2 Soundtrack (CD)

Tracks include: quot;Accidentally in Lovequot; by Counting Crows, quot;I Need No Sleepquot; by Eels, quot;Little Drop of Poisonquot; by Tom Waits, quot;Ever Fallen in Lovequot; by Pete Yorn, quot;Changesquot; Butterfly Boucher feat. David Bowie, quot;Holding Our for a Heroquot; by Frou-Frou, quot;You're So Truequot; by Joseph Arthur and many more.

Salon film critic Stephanie Zacharek described Shrek 2 as "one of the most mature movies about adult relationships ever made." Dreamworks, like Pixar, has been smart when it comes to their computer-animated fare, generating stories and characters that are equally entertaining both to kids and their parents. Shrek (2001) was top-loaded with kid-friendly burp jokes, a pretty princess and a talking donkey, but it was also packed with enough satire and smart cultural references, most self-respecting adults probably already own the DVD. Shrek 2's equally mature soundtrack album (supervised by radio personality Chris Douridas) offers a smart overview of some of the English-speaking world's most gifted male singer/songwriters including the blistering Pete Yorn, Joseph Arthur, emo rock kings Dashboard Confessional, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and The Eels. Oh -- and arguably the best David Bowie cover ever made.

Whoever would have thought that the soundtrack of a kids' movie would be ideal ground for a mournful Nick Cave number? Cave's plaintive voice crooning "People Ain't No Good" hardly sounds out of place here when juxtaposed against the Eel's equally doleful, but delightful (it's worth noting that the Eels also contributed "My Beloved Monster" to soundtrack of Shrek) "I Need Some Sleep." Tom Waits even makes an appearance (he shows up as the voice of a piano player in the film) with the sweetly cabaret-flavored "Little Drop of Poison."

Tom Waits? The Eels? Nick Cave? On a kids' album? Smartly, the producers know that adults buy soundtracks, and while the album is hardly all heartbreak and minor keys, it is mostly a thinking person's collection. There is significant uplift to be had here, including "Ever Fallen In Love," a peppy and fabulously hyper track from ambitiously skilled rocker Pete Yorn. Art-rock duo Frou Frou provides a sensationally bizarre take on a song made famous by the '80s mega-hit, Footloose (and, originally, Bonnie Tyler) "Holding out for a Hero." David Bowie, who is notably critical of anyone who attempts to cover his music, was so supportive of Butterfly Boucher's impassioned and delicious cover of "Changes" that he agreed to guest, resulting in this divine duet.

The ranking single is an original, and irrepressibly upbeat, Counting Crows song, "Accidentally in Love." Characteristically jangly ala Crows, but uncharacteristically happy, it is the obvious Smash Mouth resident of the soundtrack (Smash Mouth contributed their then well-worn "All Star" as well as Shrek theme "I'm a Believer" to the first soundtrack) and best crowd pleaser for the little ones. There is also the absurdly hilarious version of "Livin' La Vida Loca" sung by returning star Eddie Murphy and the always-underrated Antonio Banderas. The wonderfully goofy "Fairy Godmother Song" sung by the always hilarious Jennifer Saunders (yes, of the Brit sit-com Absolutely Fabulous) is the soundtrack's sole resident that actually sounds like it was lifted from a musical comedy. Like Muppet Show numbers of yesteryear, the "Fairy Godmother Song" is so frank in its silliness, it still remains a far cry from most typical kid fare. The producers of Shrek 2 and its soundtrack have set forth a refreshing standard here: namely, that it is possible for the soundtrack of an animated, PG-rated film to be smart and funny while also being absent of any schmaltz penned by the likes of Elton John or Phil Collins.

By Rachel Parker