'The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie' by various artists

By Joshua Huff
Special to The Advertiser

The verdict: . THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely listen to it. 3 — Good: Worth listening to despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the group or singer, don't bother. 1 — Poor: Save your money (and your ears).

Released: Nov. 9.

Style: Light rock/pop, children's music.

Rewind: "SpongeBob & Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy" (by The Flaming Lips); "Just a Kid" (Wilco); "They'll Soon Discover" (The Shins).

Skip: "The SpongeBob SquarePants Theme" (Avril Lavigne) and "You Better Swim" (Motorhead).

My view: I must admit I haven't watched the successful Nickelodeon cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants" very often. Although Nickelodeon is known as a children's entertainment network, "SpongeBob" also offers humor and sight gags for adults. It was only a matter of time, really, that a movie version of the show was released (it opens nationwide today).

The television show's theme is the first track on the album and is done by Canadian pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne. It's unfortunate that she was chosen to rework the song, as she takes a lighthearted, fun tune and punks it out, which she must think is absolutely necessary in every song she is a part of. It sounds like a third-rate attempt at being the Japanese band Shonen Knife, but it's similar to every other song she's put out.

The album's producers must have been well aware that the show has taken on cult status, as many current college rock favorites are on the soundtrack. The Flaming Lips offer up "SpongeBob & Patrick Confront the Psychic Wall of Energy," a surprisingly light and mellow song from a band known for its quirky stage show and songs about robots and spiders. Wilco offers "Just a Kid," which sounds exactly like "I'm a Wheel" (from its "A Ghost is Born," released this year) but with altered lyrics. The song has a driving beat and also features charming backing vocals from lead singer Jeff Tweedy's 8-year-old son Preston's band.

The best song is "They'll Soon Discover," by The Shins (which seems to be quite busy helping out with soundtracks lately, including "Wicker Park" and "Garden State" over the summer). The track sounds like it was picked straight off last year's critically acclaimed "Chutes Too Narrow," and follows the acoustic-guitar-driven songs with keyboard and electric guitar flare and drum backing that The Shins are known for. "They'll Soon Discover" comes off as the least-strained piece on the album and is a gem of a track.

All in all, the album is decent, but its focus is still mainly on kids, and rightly so. The album has a family-friendly sound and can be enjoyed even by the most jaded "indie" rock kid and his baby sister. Though that "family-friendly" nature is brought into question by a track by Motorhead (really, what are they doing here?), the skits should keep fans of the movie entertained. But don't be fooled: The soundtrack is just a way to milk more money from fans of the show, and the tracks from the musicians are really only for diehard fans of the bands. Many of the songs come off as forced, and sometimes, it gets uncomfortable (Lavigne's cover, for instance). It won't go down as one of the best soundtracks of the year and won't be talked about a year from now. Skip it.

Joshua Huff is a senior at Moanalua High School.

Have a CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.