The soundtrack for director Jean-Marc Vallee's 2014 survival tale Wild features an evocative mix of classic singer/songwriter fare and warm, introspective rock tunes spanning over five decades. Classic pop hits like
the Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe,"
Simon & Garfunkel's "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)," and Wings' "Let 'Em In" sit alongside
Portishead's trip-hop classic "Glory Box" and
Lucinda Williams' rootsy ballad "Something About What Happens When We Talk." The film's narrative follows real-life wanderer Cheryl Strayed (played by Reese Witherspoon) as she undertakes a soul-searching solo journey down the rugged Pacific Crest Trail. Forgoing the typical incidental film score, Vallee chose to only include music that occurs organically within the film playing on characters' radios or CD players, usually in flashback scenes. The soundtrack also includes tracks by
Leonard Cohen,
Bruce Springsteen,
Free, and Swedish-Americana duo
First Aid Kit, who recorded a cover of
R.E.M.'s "Walk Unafraid" specifically for the film. ~ Timothy Monger