Tony Shapiro understands the basic music cues and generates a consistent message throughout the Marley & Me Soundtrack. The soundtrack is basically a mix of generic movie cues. Chases, traveling, romance, and growth are all represented. I understand that the album follows musical cues from the movie, but the biggest flaw about the soundtrack is that it depends on the visuals to make it successful.
The length of the tracks exemplifies that each fit a specific place in the movie. “Two Year Montage” is one of the longest tracks and it makes for a decent, generic pop/rock tune. I assume from the title that it’s supposed to represent time passing, but other than the increasing in key, it doesn’t feel progressive. The Irish arrangement in “Off to Ireland” is well-produced and shows a feeling of flight, adventure, and appreciating the unknown. The song makes you want to get up and do a jig.
There is something that connects to the video game The Sims while listening to this soundtrack, which is probably the oddest compliment this album can get. A track like “Dog Farm” could fit perfectly in the computer game as part of customizing your family pet. “Labor Pains” and “Snow” have a similar “building/furnishing a house” theme that The Sims uses. Some of the tracks provide wonderful background music without being overbearing.
I don’t understand why several of the tracks include a generic Latin sound, though. Instead of providing either a well-composed or organized track, the songs “Walking the Plank” and “Leg Love” have this almost basic keyboard preset, something very Casio Cha-Cha. I thought that maybe it was the last of it, but then out of nowhere a similar riff picks up in “Employed.” I appreciate the attempt at variations to the soundtrack, but I wish that the execution was cleaner.
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