Music, the Character.

Soundtracks are finicky in a way. Well, at least to the extent that an inanimate entity [not even an object] can be finicky. Considering a soundtrack can occur on at least two different levels: as the soundtrack to the movie [i.e., as a part of a greater work of art] and then also as a collection of music itself [i.e., standing on their own or as their own entity]. Some soundtracks are stronger at one, some the other, and a select few succeed on both levels [think of the Garden State soundtrack]. One could debate what the purpose of a soundtrack is: to be a part of the movie, to stand on its own, to do both.

The Juno soundtrack definitely brings strong images from the movie to mind as you listen to it, even if you can't place each song with each scene of the movie. You definitely think of Ellen Page's sharp-edged wittiness, Michael Cera's Michael Cera-ness, or many of the other wonderful parts of the movie.

How does the soundtrack stand on its own tho, as an entity distinct from the movie itself? The music of the album is definitely great music. Kimya Dawson (who provides much of the music, even as a member of The Moldy Peaches) possesses a certain nonchalance in her voice, never attempting to force anything to sound pretty or anything more [or less actually] than natural.

As for the other selections, Buddy Holly, The Velvet Underground, and Sonic Youth are tough to argue with. Yet the feel of the movie is inescapable. In creating the soundtrack, the hope was to find what kind of music Juno would listen to herself. Ellen Page immediately recommended Kimya Dawson. And the soundtrack is definitely a perfect match; it serves as its own character in the film.

Because of this close association to the film it is difficult to separate it from the role it plays. This is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact here it works to the album's advantage. We are often reminded of things when we hear music [especially our favorite tunes] due to the memories we associate with songs. Obviously, being reminded of the movie is not a bad thing in this case. If anything, listening to the soundtrack outside of the movie shows strong and important of a role the music played as the unseen character.