SAFE HAVEN - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2013)

So we weren’t particularly stoked about director Lasse Hallstorm’s adaptation of Nicholas Spark’s weep fest, but surely we can count on the soundtrack album for some songs to kill time? True enough, this 41 minute disc features radio friendly tunes which you can’t find fault in, considering the number of hours we’ve been exposed to commercial love songs on the air waves.

The soundtrack stays true to the movie’s genre by opening with Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw’s very accessible duet “We Both Know”. The formula works so well, you can’t bear to blame the tune for sounding like a dozen other romantic duets out there. Tristan Prettyman follows up with the folksy “Say Anything”, a tune which allows you to lay back, relax and let the singer songwriter’s soothing vocals calm your nerves. Another calming tune comes in the form of Ben Howard’s “Keep Your Head Up”, where guitar strings play gently in the background while the English artiste croons the lyrics.

Pop folk performer Dar Williams perk things up a little with “Summer Child”, while The White Buffalo keeps things simple with “Sleepy Little Town”. The country genre influence continues with Gareth Dunlop’s “Wrap Your Arms Around Me”, a tune which all men would want to sing to their partners.

Sara Haze’s “Moonshine” is a pleasant tune too, with the ukulele being strummed while the singer’s husky vocals charm listeners. The vintage “The Journey” performed by FM Radio will please fans of old school simple compositions. Elsewhere, listen out for other songs which can’t go wrong – including Brandi Carlile’s “Heart’s Content”, Amos Lee’s “Violin” and “The Deep Dark Woods’ “My Baby’s Got To Pay The Rent”. The disc concludes with the only score track “Canoeing (Katie and Alex’s Theme)” composed by Deborah Lurie. The agreeably pleasing cue will remind you of how Josh Duhamel and Julliane Hough spent time in a scenic river (if you have caught the movie), or how you wish to canoe down a peaceful stream with your loved one. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (3) Keep Your Head Up

Review by John Li