Because Of Winn-Dixie Soundtrack CD

The general tone and flavor of the Because of Winn-Dixie soundtrack album will come as no surprise to anyone who is even glancingly familiar with the movie's (and the novel's) symbols and themes: cute little girl, cute little dog, warm Southern setting complete with heartwarmingly eccentric characters. Make no mistake: this is not the dark, gothic South of Tobacco Road and Larry Brown novels, but the sweet, quirky South of Steel Magnolias and Jan Karon. What is surprising is how well the soundtrack album communicates that warmth and quirkiness without lapsing into sticky bathos or shoo-fly-pie cutesiness. That's mainly down to a wise selection of artists, of course, who include Emmylou Harris, the Be Good Tanyas, Shawn Colvin, and the Finn Brothers -- all of them known for warmth and approachability, none of them given to bathetic foolishness. (On the other hand, there's also Adam Schlesinger and James Iha's utterly unnecessary cover of "Splish Splash," which probably makes sense in the movie but doesn't really work on the album.) Rachel Portman's instrumental themes, too, are a pitch-perfect distillation of down-home ambience and musical intelligence. All in all, this is an unusually satisfying soundtrack album. ~ Rick Anderson

Emmylou Harris/Shawn Colvin/ Be Good Tanyas/Alice Peacock

Recording information: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England; Lansdowne Studios.

Arranger: David Matthews & the Manhattan Jazz Quintet.

Personnel: Chris Cozens (programming); Dave Matthews (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Chris Dibble.

Uncut (p.118) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Studding Rachel Portman's score are new tracks by Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin and The Be Good Tanyas."