'Last Kiss' is good, first is better

As any facebook search can attest, after the 2004 release of Zach Braff's Garden State, it quickly became a college favorite. Parallel to the film itself was the phenomenon of its soundtrack. In addition to writing, directing and starring in his high-grossing film, Braff executively produced the GS Soundtrack, drawing critical acclaim and even winning a Grammy. Considering his success, the releases of Braff's new movie The Last Kiss and its soundtrack were surrounded by a media frenzy. The question now is: can he live up to the hype with The Last Kiss?

In The Last Kiss, Braff plays Michael, a confused protagonist afraid of settling in with his pregnant girlfriend as he approaches (gasp!) 30. Similar to his character in Garden State, Braff has a keenness for the quiet, pensive, post-college young adult. Braff is a Generation Y Benjamin Braddock, lost in his hopes, loves and desires. Unfortunately, the soundtrack falls short of the emotional conflict that pervades the film.

The Last Kiss (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) does not completely disappoint, but it still fails to deliver the emotional tour-de-force of Braff's first. Rather than take the listener on an emotional roller coaster as did the Garden State soundtrack, this album seems to be more of a guided tour of today's best indie music — featuring the Cary Brothers, Remy Zero and Coldplay. Though Frou Frou split, its former lead singer Imogen Heap also has a solo recording on the new record. Some fringe-mainstream acts also contribute, including Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, Amos Lee and Rufus Wainwright. But most exciting is Braff's new big discovery, Josh Radin, a mellow singer-songwriter similar to Damien Rice.

Radin, the album's golden boy, certainly shines. His first song, "Star Mile," a slight, finger-picked gem, combines the harmonies and musical style of early Simon and Garfunkel with the emotional sincerity and emo-earnestness of a Jimmy Eat World ballad.

Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" is a multi-tracked a cappella piece, a refreshing choice for a mainstream release. Amos Lee's "Arms of a Woman" and Ray LaMontagne's "Hold You in My Arms" have the soulful feel of a modern pop-blues ballad, which are great listens; the lounge act of Fiona Apple's "Paper Bag" and the made-for-Broadway melody of Rufus Wainwright's "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (Reprise)" are a bit more acquired tastes. At 15 songs, the album runs long, but it doesn't drag.

Many lyrics on the album certainly echo the sentiments of Braff's character. The opening song, Snow Patrol's hit single "Chocolate," is a pumping infectious tune that describes the lead singer as a "child of 25" not ready for a serious romantic commitment. The protagonist of the Turin Brakes' "Pain Killer" self-medicates to "leave all this misery behind." And in the song "Prophecy" by Remy Zero, frontman Cinjin Tate scorns Braff's characters: "You walk this world like you're a ghost ... your soul is dying."

Far from depressing, though, the songs are buoyed by breezy, catchy melodies. The album is almost consistently unplugged, alternating acoustic guitar and piano numbers, balancing tempos between upbeat and soulful, with an overall tone not meant to pull you down.

The closing track, "Paperweight," is a duet between Radin and Schuyler Fisk, better known as the girlfriend in Orange County and a surprising musical talent. More romantic than most of the other songs, it describes two lovers fighting the coming sunrise. "Been up all night staring at you," they croon to each other. It seems a fitting end to the album. While Garden State may have sought to capture the confused feelings of a person going through personal drama, The Last Kiss's musical airiness seems more appropriate for after you've found that meaningful someone and can't think of anything better than being, in the words of Radin and Fisk, "happy to lay here, just happy to be here."