Surfing and music undeniably go together. When you think of the beach, you think of the soothing sounds of waves, ukuleles, acoustic guitars and Jack Johnson. That is precisely what A Broke Down Melody is; the soundtrack to the surfing film of the same name. And, in what might be strange for a soundtrack, A Broke Down Melody also delivers a little bit more.
In addition to the usual pleasant, laid-back fare from Johnson and his protege Matt Costa, there’s also a smattering of cool oldies from the Beta Band circa 1988, some reggae, a bossa-nova track by the Kings of Convenience, and Feist even makes an appearance for some jazzy, slightly elevator-ish instrumental tracks.
It’s an interesting mix, but it works together well as a whole soundtrack. The music may be casual, but the effort in putting together the soundtrack is far from it. A Broke Down Melody is very well assembled–the care that went into it even comes down to the surprisingly original, thoughtful quotes from surfers between tracks, and the album art composed of gorgeous stills from the film. It’s an appropriate companion to a film that claims to explore “the times, travels and experiences of a tribe of surfers who search for the spark of life and look to pass it on to the younger generation.”