Like the soundtracks to all
Jim Jarmusch films,
Broken Flowers is another eclectic affair, gathering together garage rock, Ethiopian jazz, classic soul, and classical music. Even such disparate-sounding tracks as
the Greenhornes and
Holly Golightly's "There Is an End,"
Marvin Gaye's "I Want You," and
Dengue Fever's "Ethanopium" have a warmth and elegance that unite them, while
Sleep's logy but ferocious "Dopesmoker" and
the Oxford Camerata's elegiac performance of
Fauré's Requiem, Op. 48 (Pie Jesu) are polar opposites (even though the soundtrack's track listing makes them next-door neighbors). However, it's Mulatu Astatke's contributions to
Broken Flowers that end up defining the soundtrack: "Yegelle Tezeta," "Yekermo Sew," and "Gubelye" are smoky, mysterious, and more than a little playful. As personal as a handmade mix (the role the music actually plays in the film),
Broken Flowers is an unpredictable delight. ~ Heather Phares