VA - The Last Kiss - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2006)

The soundtrack to The Last Kiss proves that Zach Braff's Garden State Grammy was no fluke; here again, he's assembled an artful hodgepodge both charming and substantial. Balancing out the hipness of British indie darlings Snow Patrol ("Chocolate") and Turin Brakes ("Pain Killer") is a batch of adult alternative gems few sensitive-minded thirty-somethings could resist: Aimee Mann deadpans her way masterfully through "Today's the Day" while Rufus Wainwright rues his unwholesomeness on "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," and Amos Lee falls hopelessly into the "Arms of a Woman" while Fiona Apple contemplates the poetry made possible by a "Paper Bag." Like a hipster fashionista unafraid to mix high and low, Braff intertwines megastars (Coldplay) and unknowns (Athlete) for an effect at once welcoming and provocative. The standout track is Ray LaMontagne's completely devastating "Hold You in My Arms," but Braff fans could be forgiven for getting the notion that he favors Cary Brothers' "Ride." In fact, some might suspect Brothers is Braff's pseudonym: not only did he carry over Brothers, the disc's only unsigned artist, from the Garden State soundtrack, he also did Brothers the favor of directing the "Ride" video.~ Review by Tammy La Gorce