The holiday season has come and gone, but winter is far from over. And with the arrival of cold and frosty weather comes the release of winter movies and their soundtracks.
The Jack Frost soundtrack (Warner Bros.) features a collection of tunes sprinkled with holiday songs. The selection of songs for the soundtrack is solid, but the choice of artists to perform them does not measure up. The artists represent vastly different talents and styles, presenting a mish mosh of sound instead of an effective soundtrack.
As pre-teen icons, Hanson and the Spice Girls have received an inordinate amount of publicity and radio play and now irritate some listeners. Their presence on the Jack Frost soundtrack undoubtedly will annoy listeners. Hanson attempts to remake the classic favorites “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “Good Lovin’ ” and “Merry Christmas Baby” but falls short of achieving its goal. With their whiny voices, it is obvious the Hanson brothers have not hit puberty and should spend their time tuning their voices instead of ruining classic songs. As for the Spice Girls, their rendition of “Sleigh Ride” sounds like it belongs in a jingle for tropical suntan lotion – not on this soundtrack.
Despite many setbacks, the Jack Frost soundtrack provides a few nice surprises. Lisa Loeb lends her voice to “How.” Similar to her hit “Stay” from the Reality Bites soundtrack, “How” is a soft and soothing tune combining Loeb’s luring voice and a variety of acoustic sounds. Bob Carlisle’s “Father’s Love,” which is similar to “Butterfly Kisses” but directed toward a son instead of a daughter, adds sentimentality to the album.
Swirl 360 offers an upbeat and rhythmic sound with its song “Hey Now Now.” Another worthwhile addition to the soundtrack is Fighting Gravity’s “Wait For You.” The song blends different melodies of rock to get a simple yet entertaining song.
These four songs, however, are the only ones on the 14-track album with redeeming qualities. The Jack Frost soundtrack attempts to please audiences with some favorite tunes, but in the end, falls short. Instead of providing music to enjoy on a cold wintry night, the soundtrack provides butchered renditions of classics.