Levity: Music from the Film

Eels (Artist), Mark Oliver Everett (Composer), Tracy Bonham (Performer), Jessica Catron (Performer), Mark Oliver Everett (E) (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Tracy Bonham, Jessica Catron, Mark Oliver Everett (E)
• Composer: Mark Oliver Everett
• Audio CD (April 22, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Pleximusic
• ASIN: B00008ZL8D
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,677 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. What I Remember Most

2. Skywriting

3. Running the Bath

4. Gravity

5. Haunted Piano #1

6. In Manual's Room

7. Taking a Bath in Rust

8. Flashback Blues

9. Post-Flashback Blues

10. Lonesome Subway

11. Haunted Organ #1

12. Sofia Writing in the Sky

13. To Adel Easley / Trouble in the Alley

14. Manual's Got a Train to Catch

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Though not perfect, still an excellent piece of work, February 5, 2004

By 

E. J. Sawdey "sawdeye" (Galesburg, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Levity: Music from the Film (Audio CD)

Hiring a noted indie rock musician to do your soundtrack will gain you instant noteriety. No matter what one thinks of "About A Boy", Badly Drawn Boy's jaw-droppingly beautiful soundtrack was a highlight, and even better than the actual BDB album that followed. And who can't forget "Chelsea Walls"? So, hiring the enigmetic E to do a soundtrack seems like a good idea, right?

Correct. Don't get me wrong - there are a few downsides to the album, most notably the length (pay this much for under 35 minutes of music?) and only two Eels songs, but it really is worth it. "What I Remember Most" is a haunting opener, which faintly recalls Belle & Sebastian's work with Todd Solondoz's "Storytelling" soundtrack. The instrumentals are short, pretty, but establish the effective mood RIGHT AWAY, something not many other scores can do. The latter suites that close the album are undeniably moving.

The two Eels songs, both under 3 minutes, are worthwhile in themselves. While the acoustic "Skywriting" is extremely worthy, it's "Taking A Bath In Rust" that steals the show, with it's soft-loud scratchy-voicings and the lush & memorable string arrangement that follows. It's amazing it wasn't a single, because it easily could have charted.

Again, it isn't perfect. Some of the "themes" are recycled too oft, but again, it's a minor complaint to a great work. It's not the greatest soundtrack ever made, but it's a very worthy entry into that "indie-rock soundtrack" subgenre, and an enjoyable one at that.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Soundtrack from Mr. E, April 29, 2003

By 

Daniel McKinley "Music Maven" (ATL, Joja, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Levity: Music from the Film (Audio CD)

I was very impressed with this album. Whereas the MC Honky album he released a couple weeks earlier was very much hit-or-miss, with gimmicks that got in the way of the cool things he was doing musically, on this score to a movie that isn't out yet, the gimmick is the music itself. The two Eels songs sound like they could have been b-sides from either Electro-shock Blues or Daisies of the Galaxy, while the rest of the songs sound like very unobtrusive, very moody movie music. But turn it up louder and pay attention and you'll hear all kinds of interesting things. It really [draws] you into its sounds and there's plenty of room to roam around inside them...only gave it 4 stars because it's so short - around 35 minutes. It's not that it needs to be longer, but it would be nice if the price reflected the quantity of music you're buying. But the quality is wonderful. This, along with the MC Honky CD (and Lisa Germano's new one, Lullaby for Liquid Pig, with Butch drumming) should help tide over any Eels fans until the release of Shootenany! in June. Peace out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Levity" soundtrack is would be a fine addition to your "E" collection., August 3, 2005

By 

James M. Mcconkey "James M. McConkey" (Sycamore, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Levity: Music from the Film (Audio CD)

Very melodic and melancholy, Mark Everett ("E", "Eels") shapes up a wonderful soundscape to a fine little film. Playing the bulk of the instruments himself and singing on one track, "E" & "Eels" fans will find this soundtrack a nice addition to their collection. Softer in tone and sound than much of his work, the "Levity" soundtrack does possess some similarities to the "Eels" newest recording, but with almost no vocals the songs instead come to life through some fine subtle playing and direction from Mr. Everett. I would highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in any of "E"'s or the "Eels recordings and to anyone looking for something soothing and melodic to listen to on a warm summer day.