THE HOTTEST STATE - VARIOUS ARTISTS
A wide array of artists lend their talents to interpreting the music of singer-songwriter Jesse Harris on the soundtrack to this upcoming Ethan Hawke-directed film. Harris, widely known for his Grammy Award-winning work with Norah Jones, wrote every song here including two score arrangements, and he and Hawke handpicked the artists to perform their take on the tracks. Of particular note is the bare-bones, intimate performances of Willie Nelson on “Always Seem to Get Things Wrong,” Emmylou Harris on “The Speed of Sound” and M. Ward on “Crooked Lines.” Elsewhere, Argentinean newcomer Rocha lends her soft, sweet vocals to Spanish and English versions of the film’s main track, “Never See You”; Bright Eyes offers a fuzzed-out electronic take on “Big Old House”; and the Black Keys add a welcome blues-rock touch to “If You Ever Slip.”
