was definitely anticipating the follow-up release to Badly Drawn Boy’s The Hour of Bewilderbeast. Like a lot of people I know, I was first suckered in by the breakout single, "Once Around The Block". It had a catchy classiness all its own. The accompanying video completed the catch, and I was hooked. The cute little couple driving around until the build up of the final moment where they complete the kiss that has the two getting attached to each other by her braces...well, it was like a little movie that perfectly captured the mood of the song.

So, I guess that it makes sense that the follow up album would actually be a movie soundtrack. Damon Gough wrote and composed the music to the newly released “About A Boy” (based on the Nick Hornsby novel). The disc includes eight new compositions, as well as incidental pieces.

The disc starts out with an instrumental introduction before delving into “A Peak You Reach”. The song is a bouncy, upbeat little ditty with a great of reliance on the Casio keyboard for the chorus. At first listen I thought, “What the hell is this?” Gough’s last album was in the vein of a depressive, although catchy, songwriter (i.e. Pedro the Lion, Elliott Smith). “Silent Sigh”, the third proper song on the record, transformed me back to some 70’s R&B tune with backup vocals singing the lyrics "Silent Sigh/ Silent Sigh/Silent Sigh" over and over again. Annoying/ Annoying/ Annoying. There are a couple of tolerable tracks, but nothing to save this heavily produced album.

The main thing that strikes me about this soundtrack is how different is sounds from its predecessor. The Hour of Bewilderbeast seemed moody and experimental. There were dark creepy places that BDB brought to the fore. Songs like “Disillusion”, “Epitaph”, and “Blistered Heart”. Some of his more instrumental tracks were reminiscent of Beck. So, I guess a romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant wouldn’t quite work with that same morose gloominess. This soundtrack seems like a light airy spring day.

Having read the Nick Hornsby novel, I can see how the soundtrack will outline the movie, almost scene by scene. It will be a kind of a whimsical, flirty date movie. Not too deep, not too thought provoking, but fun just the same. And this would be the same way I would describe its soundtrack. This would be good background music in your car when you are picking up your date to see this movie. Hopefully, Gough will not offer his services to soundtrack movies anymore- or perhaps choose more wisely. It seems that there is not enough depth in the one that he chose in his first outing to warrant a wide range of feelings and songs.