Magnolia

A soundtrack's relationship to a film is generally tenuous at best, featuring songs that were featured in the movie for maybe a minute or two, if at all. What results is usually no more than an assembly of songs by new artists and covers of old classics. The Magnolia soundtrack, however, presents a cohesive accompaniment to the movie's plot and adds a new dimension to its themes. Aimee Mann (formerly of the '80s post-new age group 'Til Tuesday) wrote most of the album, displaying an impressive talent for lyrics and melody.

As director Paul Thomas Anderson acknowledges in the liner notes, his ideas for the movie developed alongside Mann's work, and Magnolia's plot-complicated as it may be-is deeply reflected in her lyrics. Mann sings of loneliness, regret and the capacity we all have to hurt the ones we love. Her elegies cry for solace from the pain of the past and teach the lessons of hope and forgiveness that every person in the film must learn. The soundtrack's moods range from the anxious jumpiness of "Momentum" (you may recognize the song from the baffling movie previews) to "Wise Up," a deeply chilling elegy that is sung in one scene by each character at their deepest moment of despair. While the movie may be rambling and fragmented, these songs act to tie the characters together by highlighting their isolation, fear and fragile humanity.

Aimee Mann shines through on this project as a real female talent, combining the musical chops of Sheryl Crow or Joan Osborne with a strong lyrical prowess. Also included on the soundtrack are four bonus tracks from the movie, including two catchy Supertramp offerings and a haunting score by Jon Brion.

-By Greg Bloom