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For me, hearing the soundtrack to "About a Boy" — released weeks
ahead of the movie — was a much better enticement to see the
film than a trailer would have been. The music, by Badly Drawn Boy,
evokes tousled hair and miscommunication, growing pains and a
sentimental triumph — the staples of a Hugh Grant film. But
since those are the staples, and we've seen them before, I'm not sure
I'd have been interested in the film if I'd just seen clips. And I'm
a sucker for romantic comedies. The music, however, has me hooked. I
feel I've experienced some of the emotional ups and downs. Now I want
to see how it will end.
The album isn't just an enticement to see "About a Boy." It's the
follow-up by Damon Gough — the so-called Badly Drawn Boy —
to The Hour of Bewilderbeast. It's not the continuation of
Bewilderbeast, which is what I'd originally hoped for when I
heard there was a new Badly Drawn Boy CD (his "official" follow-up,
said to be a bit more rock 'n' roll than Bewilderbeast, is due
later this year). It's an easier listen, with less angst and less
experimental flourish. It sounds grown up, like something Hugh Grant
might listen to as he sits looking through scripts that call for
glossy lips and charming growing pains.
The disc opens with a 17-second instrumental piece. Very few people
making music right now have Gough's ability to include so many
disparate instruments in one CD. He's got an orchestra working with
him on this soundtrack. The opening instrumental sounds like
everything I love about romantic comedies. In that 17 seconds, I can
hear laughter mixed with a little sadness, ultimately leading to a
feeling that love is worth the bother. (And I think I also hear some
very stylish clothes and haircuts in there.) There are several other
short instrumental interludes throughout the CD, each one bittersweet
and shimmery.
Most film soundtracks are either entirely instrumental or collections
of songs by different artists that (if we're lucky) relate to some
scenes in the film. About a Boy manages to be the best of both
of these. Besides the orchestral interludes, there are several
irresistible pop songs. But they have one voice, many are dominated
by keyboards, and all manage to sound like a single Londoner either
goofing around or growing wiser.
The single, "Silent Sigh," shows off Gough's higher, plaintive
rock-star voice. A steady keyboard riff keeps the beat and attempts
to keep the song grounded, while Gough's breathy "oooohs" and
"aaaahs" and a higher, more melodic keyboard contrasts and shaves off
weight. "Something to Talk About" is also a radio-ready song. It
sounds like Elliott Smith, with a strumming guitar and toe-tapping
pace, alongside lyrics that feel as if you're being let in on someone
else's private dilemma.
"File Me Away" harks back to a romantic-comedy sound from the
1960s. The background "dooo dooo dooos" and the jazzy lilt remind me
of Henry Mancini's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" day-out-on-Fifth-Avenue
montage music. But Gough's voice ensures that the song stays in the
present, and in a man's story. He sings in a craggy voice, "File me
away, in your heart someday. You just be you; I'll be me. Okay?" He's
no crooner. And he's not yet ready to embrace in an alley in the
pouring rain and commit.
With About a Boy, Badly Drawn boy has grown up. He's no longer
giving us a glimpse of the dribble on his chin (that accumulates
after a foolish grin). He's taking us through the travails of a
fictional character, and he's letting in some breeze. Just like a
hero in a romantic comedy, he shows us that no man can sulk around in
a knit cap for the rest of his life. Optimism will surely find him.
Followed by the string section.
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