Rating: 6/10

Although REMEMBER ME may seem like your average love story, the film is almost a “period piece” in that it takes place back in the summer of 2001. Unlike the indie rock soundtracks populated by of-the-moment artists that made up the collections from Pattinson’s other well-known film franchise, this collection gives us throwbacks to the late 90s with a sprinkling of tracks from the beginning of 2000. These “vintage” tracks fit well in re-creating that moment in time and the newer songs keep the collection fresh.

Music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas, did a beautiful job selecting songs from that point in time that still fit with the emotional feel of the film. The collection is layered, almost quiet in some moments and angst-ridden in others, much in the same way the film is itself.

Having been just a college freshman back in 2001 (I’m dating myself, I know), I wish I could say that my musical taste was this hip and these songs brought back memories of the first time I listened to them. Then again, I wonder if my 18 year old self would have appreciated this collection as much then as I do now. It’s when I hear songs like this that I wish I had an older, cooler sibling when growing up to turn me on to these things a few years before the curve.

The tracks that stood out to me also happened to have song titles that related well to the film itself: Ed Harcourt’s “Hanging With The Wrong Crowd," “Why Did We Ever Meet” from The Promise Ring, and “You Can See Me” by Supergrass.

Sigur Ros’ track “Andvari” was a particular favorite for me as I am a fan of the band and love their simple yet brilliant sound. Having recently begun listening to his music, this was one of those soundtrack moments that bring a song to your attention of an artist you like that you may not have heard before. (“Andvari” being from the band's 2005 release “Takk…”).

“Play On” by the Kottonmouth Kings and “Soul Brother” by Us3 were the only selections that felt slightly out of place to me. In an alternative-heavy mix, the rap style tracks took me out of the flow and almost felt like I had accidentally left my shuffle button on while listening to the soundtrack and had jumped to entirely different albums.

The tagline for the film tells us to “live in the moments” and the soundtrack ended up causing me to live in the moment of each song. Most tracks were mellow enough to play almost as background music, but each would pull at my attention with an almost quiet intensity. I found myself just sitting and listening to the collection with no distractions, letting the music let my mind wander in and out of each refrain. The soundtrack stands well on its own and played lightly throughout the film, acting as a support rather than an additional character. It was a pleasure to sit with each track in its entirety and give it the full attention each deserved.

This soundtrack is available through E1 Music.

1. “Alien Lover” – Luscious Jackson
2. “Play On” – Kottonmouth Kings
3. “Kandles” – National Skyline
4. “Soft Shoulder” – Ani Defranco
5. “Have Mercy” – Two Ton Boa
6. “Hanging With The Wrong Crowd” – Ed Harcourt
7. “Why Did We Ever Meet” – The Promise Ring
8. “You Can See Me” – Supergrass
9. “Sea Of Teeth” – Sparklehorse
10. “Andvari” – Sigur Ros
11. “Parasol” – The Sea And Cake
12. “Soul Brother” – Us3
13. “Open Wide” – Long Hind Legs
14. “The Sun Keeps Shining On me” – Fonda