Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – She's The One - Songs And Music From The Motion Picture

When all is said and done, it’s usually rather easy to distinguish a soundtrack from a formal album, though not in the case of She’s The One. Petty and his wayfaring crew deliver a solid cohesive collection showcasing all new material (an aspect that’s seldom done, yet alone done well) … where without a doubt the record can easily stand next in line to his previous outing Wildflowers.

Still maintaining his shimmering 12 string Byrds' guitar persona, Petty shows how effortless it seems for him to write good quality material that can stand on its own, mixing together elements of of brawny, yet not brazen rock and that brainy pop music that Petty is able to pull out of his hat at will. All and all, the album is nothing short of California sunshine pop, all while infusing a sense of innocence brought to the table by Lindsey Buckingham, instantly creating a Beach Boys’ easy going summer sunset.

There are several songs that make this a worthy release, yet none more so than “Hung Up and Overdue,” the album’s big crescendo, a song that has lost none of its magic or integrity over the years, a song to which Tom wallpaper’s a neo-psychedelic veneer to enhance a charming and nearly hypnotic melody intermixed with haiku styled lyrics to bring about an undefined yet ever present sense of ennui. Just consider: We’re overdue for a dream come true / Long time, nothing new …, where with harmony vocals delivered by Carl Wilson (of The Beach Boys) and the seductive drumming by none other than Ringo Starr, the entire atmosphere of treading in place can hardly be missed.

Another haunting surprise is the track “Supernatural Radio,” a powerful song that seems so out of place that it fits in perfectly, a song that ventures into Crazy Horse territory, though Crazy Horse has not ventured down this trail in a very long time.

She’s the One in its entirety is actually more like a movie than an album, as it holds conflicting thoughts, attitudes, moves in differing directions before coming home, and should perhaps be viewed as a metaphor for lost ideas, idealism, along with ruined and unrealized dreams. Yet with all of that in mind, one could cite aspects of bitterness and betrayal in both cultural and geographic settings, though it doesn’t finish with an attitude of loneliness or sadness … it’s more that She’s the One finishes with one single exhausted long exhale, from which we turn on our heels and make the best of tomorrow.

Review by Jenell Kesler

Supposedly a vinyl repress is coming out this year. Don't have a date unfortunately. Had a company take a pre-order but then they couldn't say when it would be released so cancelled the order. Be on the lookout.