The soundtrack to Larry Clark's controversial film Kids is a Lou Barlow fan's wet dream come true. (No really bad pun intended.) As the majority of Mr. Barlow's fans are male, I feel this analogy is justifiable. However, being female and a fan, there are exceptions to this generalization. So you've gotten this far and are still wondering who the hell this god-like Barlow-man is. Lou Barlow is the front man for the band Sebadoh (participants in this year's Lollapalooza) and partakes in various side projects including Sentridoh, Folk Implosion, and Deluxx Folk Implosion. But enough about him, let's get back to the Kids soundtrack . . .

While the movie's music was actually rather varied including tunes from Beastie Boys and other rap groups, the selection for the soundtrack ended up being somewhat limited. Of the thirteen tracks, seven are performed by Folk Implosion, as well as two additional Barlow projects, Sebadoh and Deluxx Folk Implosion. Each of which contributed a song. Now that's fine and dandy if you are familiar with this music, but it may need a spoonful of sugar to make it easier to digest if this is a first listen. Overall, the soundtrack makes for an excellent groove addition to one's CD collection. The music would be ideal for background noise during a mellow get-together with a few 30 or so friends. Perhaps this is why it corresponds with Kids the movie, which is a disturbing look at a day in the life of teenagers in NYC. The movies floats along, changing from one startling scene to the next, much like the melodies of its soundtrack.

Specifically, several songs on the disc by Folk Implosion provide an eerie and haunting feel. The continual repetition of the line "Nothing gonna stop the flow," from the song "Nothing Gonna Stop" will stick in your head for hours. "Raise the Bells" and "Wet Stuff" allow for disturbing scenes from Kids to creep into your mind, as the songs themselves are quite unearthly. In what is perhaps the spookiest track of the CD, howling coyotes are heard in the background of the lyric-less "Simean Groove." This also happened to be my favorite track as the persistent beat lent to a bop-your-head feel. Of course, all these creepy songs do not make for a worthless soundtrack. Quite the opposite, the songs contribute to an overall sense of groove and flow in lives that could be perceived as pointless and depressing.

Furthermore, there are several songs on the soundtrack that are upbeat and entertaining. Daniel Johnston's cover of "Casper the Friendly Ghost" (an aptly-named character of the movie) set to carnival-like music, is mildly amusing. The song called "Casper" by the same artist also background melodies that reminded me of the "la-la's" of Pavement's "Trigger Cut." "Spoiled," performed in true Sebadoh fashion, is an appropriate commentary on the lives of these kids. The heavier sounds of Deluxx Folk Implosion are gratefully confined to the minute and seventeen seconds of "Daddy Never Understood." While the movie itself was filled with rap music, the soundtrack only contains one rap song, the easy listening "Mad Fright Night" by Low-Down. All in all, this is not a difficult soundtrack to listen to. Its unoffensive quality is recommended, especially for those Barlow fans. (Me? How'd you guess?) Certainly worth a listen.

© Trincoll Journal, 1995.