Various Artists

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World OST

By Jonathan Shipley
Published: September 1st, 2010 | 7:00am

If there were two words to describe the soundtrack to Michael Cera’s latest vehicle, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, based on Bryan Lee O'Malley’s beloved graphic novels, it would be these: Youthful exuberance. The album begins with a girl yelling, “We Are Sex Bob-Omb!” before crushing into a wail of guitar and drums, letting the listener know they’re in for an aural treat.

The record’s certainly not for a subdued, introspective type, someone who appreciates chamber pop, cello strains, and literate metaphorical lyrics based on, say, the poetry of Vladimir Nabokov. No, Scott Pilgrim is a rock ‘em sock ‘em carnival of high flying musicians who like to turn up the amps and get sweaty. Contributors include Plumtree (“Scott Pilgrim”), Frank Black (“I Heard Romana Sing”), Metric (“Black Sheep”), and Black Lips (“O Katrina!”). The Broken Social Scene fan favorite, 2002’s “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl,” is a cute number that builds into just that, an anthem, and is a highlight of the record. Another is Beck’s “Ramona,” a brief respite amid the falling Sex Bob-Ombs that’s reminiscent of his gloriously beautiful Sea Change (Geffen) days. And while we’re on the subject of Beck, he actually penned the four ditties Pilgrim’s band—the aforementioned Sex Bob-Omb—perform.

All in all, the album is a happy, clattering, joyous, rollicking musical hoop-de-doo, faithful to the comics and film, so I’ll give it two more words: Good fun.

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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World official Web site

ABKCO Records