CD Review

Over the weekend my family and I ventured to our cabin in the north woods of Upper Michigan. My brother-in-law, Brandon couldn’t stop talking about the soundtrack to, “Into the Wild”, a recent Hollywood film following the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man fed up with his life in the real world; he decides to make his way through the Alaskan wilderness on his own. No food, no map, no plan. The songs are a poke at the materialistic world and wanting more than you need, which makes the marriage of the story and the film so fitting. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam scores the film with little more than an acoustic guitar and his voice, empathizing with the main character with songs like, “Society” and “Long Nights”, the music is simple, yet powerful and really paints the picture of being alone for years in the woods of Alaska. Vedders soulful and biting lyrics guide us to the world McCandless saw and the hardships he endured. Surprisingly kid friendly, the soundtrack does not contain anything parents might find offensive. While the themes are a bit heavy, a more down-to-earth, philosophical perspective could intrigue some younger listeners.