Granted, the movie Cold Mountain has the wonderful Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) at its helm, yet so many things about this period drama – dreary title, boring trailer, knackered Civil War plot – scream ‘Boring Nicole Vehicle’. With that in mind, one would expect the accompanying soundtrack to be an unending parade of uninspired, weary, faux-epic orchestral sweeps, wailing strings and thunderous cymbal crashes. Instead, perhaps inspired by the cinematic effectiveness/commercial success of the O Brother! Where Art Thou? soundtrack, the film rumbles along to the mellow, naturalist sounds of folk and bluegrass, as provided by producer T Bone Burnett, Grammy-winner Alison Krauss, and Jack White. Yep, he of the White Stripes fame.
There is a slight cross-pollination of film score and folk evident on some tracks, which comes across on the album as surprisingly pleasant and refreshing. Yet, it is perhaps Jack White’s appearance that gives the project not only an unusual, unexpected slant, but some kind of crossover/mainstream potential too. Not only is the picture of White donning his Civil War finery in the CD inlay truly priceless, but it’s somewhat refreshing to hear him explore the musical vista beyond the confines of his own garage rock outfit.
Whether or not this album really works as a stand-alone, away from the backdrop of Civil wartime America, remains to be seen. Perhaps this is one solely for avid fans of bluegrass… or boring Jack White completists/complete tits.