A tapestry of musical moods through the dark days of love...

Grizzly Bear is an interesting sort of band. They don’t seem to fit any one mold as far as a musical genre, fusing components of folk, psychedelic pop, and alternative to create a very unique sound all their own. So it should come as no surprise that director Derek Cianfrance would choose them for the soundtrack for a movie like Blue Valentine, a film which takes a unique look at a married couple trying to salvage their relationship.

The music of Grizzly Bear makes for an interesting listening experience. The blend of acoustic instruments with the occasional electric guitar, keyboards, strings, scattered horns combined with vocal harmonies brings to mind early nineties grunge and the vocal majesty of The Beatles. There are moments of tranquility, like the track "In Ear Park". Other tracks, like "Alligator", are slightly discordant, sounding like early Smashing Pumpkins, but backed by a choir.

"Easier" has a bit of a bluegrass feel to it, adding a banjo to the mix. "Lullaby" sounds little less like a bedtime song than like "A Day in the Life", but the dissonance of it sounds beautiful. "Easier", "Lullaby", "I Live With You", and "Foreground" all have original and instrumental versions on this soundtrack, with both versions of each song being just as good as the other. However, it’s lead singer Edward Droste’s vocals that really give the songs true depth. He can keep the tone tender and at times almost vulnerable. And yet, even being such a major part of the songs, his voice never overshadows the rest of the band, nor does any one instrument sound out of place or overplayed. There is a real balance to the ensemble, coming together to make a sound that gives impressions of other inspirations, but not sounding derivative of anything else.

There are two other tracks on the soundtrack. Star Ryan Gosling sings "You Always Hurt the Ones you Love", while playing a ukulele, which is utilized in a scene in the movie where he and co-star Michelle Williams first meet. The other is "You and Me", performed by lost folk group Penny & The Quarters. The song was originally recorded in the seventies, and was only recently found in tapes left by the producer after he died.

This is one of the best soundtracks I have listened to in quite a while. Grizzly Bear is a genuinely distinctive sounding group, and I hope other filmmakers take a look in their direction when choosing music for their projects. Definitely keep an eye out for this Lakeshore Records release when it comes out.

Blue Valentine – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is released today.

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