(500) Days of Summer (Music from the Motion Picture)

A movie soundtrack has more or less the same goal as a great mix tape: it needs to put a scene in the listener’s mind, produce an emotional response, and introduce an amazing new song or two. Considering how integral music is to the plot of (500) Days of Summer, a lot is riding on the film’s soundtrack.

The film isn’t shy about revealing its hip-kid leanings — after all, our lovebirds initially bond over their love of The Smiths, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt sports The Clash and Joy Division tees — but the soundtrack is an ambrosia salad of sweet but all-over-the-place tunes.