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When we first heard Almost Alice, the Top 40 counterpart to the .com/articles/10/NW1000088.php>Alice in Wonderland soundtrack, we immediately thought of the recent SNL skit, “Bunny Business,” in which popular artists perform forced songs about bunnies and business for an imaginary movie’s soundtrack, even though the songs probably have nothing to do with the movie. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it’s not too far off with some of the songs on Almost Alice.
But is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. “Painting Flowers” by All Time Low doesn’t seem to have much of a connection to the movie, but it’s their signature sound, which one of us loves. The other can’t get enough of the rockabilly “Fell Down” by Wolfmother, with its quick guitar solos and catchy riffs. Fortunately it’s the longest cut of the CD, and it’s definitely worth the download. Though most of the bands perform their characteristic sound, an exception is “The Poison” by The All-American Rejects, which starts at a relaxing pace and then suddenly bites. Nice.
Some cuts actually do seem to fit into the mood of the story. Robert Smith of The Cure delivers the quirky “Very Good Advice,” which sounds like it actually belongs in the movie. The same goes for the telling “In Transit,” performed by Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy). Franz Ferdinand also delivers a convincing remake of “The Lobster Quadrille.”
There’s a lot of variety here, and there’s something for almost everyone—from the early rock ‘n’ roll sound of Wolfmother to the dance track “Follow Me” by 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch. A few songs do seem forced, though, like Avril Lavigne’s “Alice,” “Tea Party” by Kerli, and Shinedown’s “Her Name Is Alice.”
Basically, if your favorite artists appear on Almost Alice, their songs are bound to be your favorites. Metro Station’s “My Angel” is their typical commercial sound. If you’re a fan, you’ll like it. Other groups represented are Owl City, Tokio Hotel, Motion City Soundtrack, and Plain White T’s.
The CD concludes with “White Rabbit,” performed by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. This track reinforced our recollection of the SNL skit—because it has elements from the story thrown in, though they don’t really fit. Then one of us pointed out that this was actually a remake of a famous ‘60s drug song by Jefferson Airplane. She maintains that it’s the perfect conclusion to Almost Alice.
But, hey, what does she know?
