lambchops's Full Review: Kids by Original Soundtrack
Lou Barlow has never been the kind of fellow to seek out fame. He’s been content over the years to follow his muse around from side-project to side-project with only occasionally brushing up with the mainstream. He’s belonged to bands like Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, and most recently Folk Implosion and his music has ranged from rock to alt-pop to lo-fi/folk. Listeners never quite knew what to expect from the Massachusetts native.
In 1995 he surprised people once again. Barlow compiled the soundtrack to the shocking film Kids. It was from this album that yielded his only bona fide hit to date—the unrepresentative Natural One. Despite not consisting entirely of Folk Implosion (or Deluxx Folk Implosion) tracks, the Kids original soundtrack is easily the most consistent album of the band’s career. Of course since it is a soundtrack, there are other influences (however minor in the scope of things). Daniel Johnston tosses in two selections, Slint provides one, rapper Lo Down offers up a song, and Barlow’s other project Sebadoh also is included once. However the Folk Implosion selections are what stand out.
Barlow has proven himself in a somewhat limited arena to be a talented singer-songwriter. Unfortunately, not one of his many projects has been able to consistently make stellar music. This leaves listeners in an odd predicament. If you assemble a “mix tape” of various Barlow songs you will have a much, much better album than if you were to pick any one up. For me, it is Folk Implosion that always had the most potential but the worst execution. Albums One Part Lullaby, The New Folk Implosion, and Take a Look Inside are inconsistent at best. It is however strange that an album that by its very nature should be uneven is Folk Implosion’s most consistently decent to date.
Kids is a shocking movie. It was intended to get under your skin regarding what is deemed (at least by director Larry Clark) to be the reality of young people today. Drugs and alcohol happen; the real demon is recreational unprotected sex. It follows a group of skate punks for just a day as it is uncovered that HIV is running rampant among them. It is a dark a disturbing film which is paired with a surprisingly understated bunch of songs. Even if the movie is too much for your delicate soul, the soundtrack can prove appealing.
Natural One is clearly the least representative song of Folk Implosion’s career. Barlow chants barely behind eerie guitars, strange percussion, and heavy percussion. It’s funky and odd and not at all like anything else from the band. But it works—especially in the context of this film. It speaks to the carefree, invincible guise that is youth. Natural One is hypnotic—the kind of song that was tailor made as a backdrop to modern culture. I still adore the song an entire decade after it was first released.
Before I gush all over Barlow (and for that matter to a lesser degree his musical partner John Davis), I want to make brief mention of Daniel Johnston’s two songs--Casper and Casper, the Friendly Ghost. Both make mention of one of the more menacing characters in the film—Casper. The former goes into the hopelessness and pointlessness of his life. Though, the upbeat tempo and chipper vocals of the song speak to how comfortable he was with this state of being. The latter is more hopeless sounding, much more acoustic (with only vocals, an accordion, and slapped percussion). Both are good songs but I’m still drawn to the Folk Implosion material.
Besides Natural One songs like Daddy Never Understood, Nothing Gonna Stop, Wet Stuff, and Jenny’s Theme are outstanding but all the material (outside of the noxious instrumental Raise the Bells) is at least better than average and sometimes outstanding. Daddy Never Understood (performed by Deluxx Folk Implosion which includes members of band Deluxx) is a loud and unrelenting track—very much unlike the usual Folk Implosion offering. It’s much more “plugged in” than most. Nothing Gonna Stop is something of a return to the folkie hip-hop flow of the more popular Natural One. It’s not as sparkly or dynamic as that song but it is still well worth checking out. Jenny’s Theme is a spooky, strange song that definitely reeks of the horror that is Kids. The Folk Implosion arrangement is alternately bizarre and foreboding and ranks among my favorite instrumentals. Finally, Wet Stuff is the craziest song here. It speaks to the recreational sex that the Kids were partaking in day in and day out. The beat and the rhythm are the centerpiece—this is a raw, sexual song but paired with the piano and Barlow’s low chanting it works wonderfully and the words themselves are secondary.
Kids is an impressive soundtrack. There are moments that don’t rub me so well and the fact that the non-Barlow tracks aren’t as immediately impressive is also troublesome, but on the whole I can’t help but enjoy the album. I’ve never been so impressed by anything from Folk Implosion or any of Barlow’s other projects as I am by this compilation. It is a surprisingly rewarding release especially for listeners otherwise disillusioned with Folk Implosion.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Casper - Daniel Johnston
02. Daddy Never Understood - Deluxx Folk Implosion
03. Nothing Gonna Stop - Folk Implosion
04. Jenny's Theme - Folk Implosion
05. Simean Groove - Folk Implosion
06. Casper The Friendly Ghost - Daniel Johnston
07. Natural One - Folk Implosion
08. Spoiled - Sebadoh
09. Crash - Folk Implosion
10. Wet Stuff - Folk Implosion
11. Mad Fright Night - Lo-Down
12. Raise The Bells - Folk Implosion
13. Good Morning Captain - Slint
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