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Dec 06, 2011 Web Exclusive By Laura Studarus

The artist’s bill of rights clearly states that all musicians are “free to the pursuit of life, liberty, and pimping their music to film soundtracks.” Okay, that might not be entirely accurate. But the truth is this—while it might be easy to support the right of Sigur Rós bandleader Jónsi to make a few additional bucks off 2010’s superb solo album Go, it’s tough to support We Bought a Zoo. Well, not fully anyway.

The soundtrack to Cameron Crowe’s latest stab at our heartstrings, We Bought a Zoo, contains standout Go tracks “Boy Lilikoi,” “Go Do,” “Sinking Friendships.” (Again for the record: Go is an amazing album). However, deprived of their original sequencing, and thrown in with a lot of other ethereal tracks from both Jónsi and Sigur Rós, it’s a tough sell—a formless bowl of jelly when we’re used to both acts serving up a multi-course feast.

These are, of course, morose, greed-based musings. Fans will likely rejoice over short but sweet sketches such as “Sink Ships,” “Humming,” and “Whole Made of Pieces”—even while admitting they’re merely shadows of previous efforts. And if one is able to stop their cries of “gimme new material!” and take a close listen to the album, there’s a lot to like. Give “Snaerisendar” a few spins. If you don’t find that moving, you need more than a zoo to warm your heart.

The only truly impeachable track is freshly penned “Gathering Stories.” Jónsi could probably set a text message to music and we’d all swoon. (Consider that an open challenge.) However the lyrics of “Gathering Stories”—co-written by Crowe—run counter to the Icelandic musician’s fragmented poetry, weighing down what is otherwise an airy composition. The highs and lows of Sigur Rós and Jónsi sandpapered to a Prozac-worthy sheen, We Bought a Zoo is a sweet stopgap, but no substitute for a proper follow up. (www.jonsi.com)

Author rating: 6/10