For example 'Jake Breaks In' is a rather annoying slab of industrialized grind when standing on its own. For the most part a lot of the music simply works better within the context of the film. While tracks like 'Enemy and I' (by Lazarus), 'Pool Party' and 'Never Give Up' (as performed by Mic Holden) and 'Basketball,' 'Weightlifting,' and 'Marco Polo' (by Lowd) may not become seminal classics of the genre, they're still competent and pack some energy and heat, especially the tracks by Lowd. Some of the rap created for the film is actually fairly decent. However, on many tunes, especially those featuring Paul Bushnell on vocals, Zigman and company evoke the sonic doppelganger of Trent Reznor. Featured composer Aaron Zigman displays a wealth of genre manipulation from mucho industrialized blitz ('Cookie Monster') to Janes Addiction like Los Angeles psychedelic sway ('Revolving'), vintage Sergio Mendes inspired lush pop ('Liar'), and desperate menace seeped in Stygian mist ('Winner') on down to grinding between the sheets rap&blues ('Let's Chill') and West Coast poplock ('Pool Party').

'Night and Day' is an ode to balmy nights in SoCal, focusing on booze and pop cultural references. Meanwhile 'La La Land' unfurls with an electronic flamenco vibe rippling with Spanish guitar and femme fatale vocalistics (this track is of special note as it feature Cassavetes' daughter, Gina, on vocals). 'Slither' continues the drugs and booze and sex thematics, this time in a laidback saunter. 'Caribou Lou' is a lumbering synth driven number paying tribute to getting your drunk on. On the rap side of things Kansas City underground phenom Tech N9ne serves up no less than four tracks (an interesting choice considering his Midwestern roots versus the Southern Cali locale of the film).

Cassidy's version is poignant, to be sure, but it still smacks of the music supervisor thinking they were being a mite too clever with this selection. In terms of the latter, the album (as well as the film's opening sequence) kicks off with Eva Cassidy's rendition of the perennial classic 'Over The Rainbow.' The irony is thick since most of the kids portrayed in the film are grasping at straws rather than rainbows, mired in attaining bling and status rather than true happiness.

Tech n9ne songs in alpha dog