Various — Stubbs The Zombie: The Soundtrack

Reviewed by morganphillips

Video games are bigger and better than ever, and their soundtracks are starting to gain attention. Stubbs The Zombie is one such soundtrack. In Stubbs (the game), you play a zombie who goes on a rampage in 1950's America, and therein lies the key that makes this soundtrack such a joy. Joined under the common goal of covering classic doo-wop and rock & roll, thirteen indie and alternative artists work their magic to make this a pretty unforgettable album.

Ben Kweller sets the album on the right course with a tightly harmonized cover of "Lollipop," and it doesn't stop there. Stubbs runs the gamet from the warm and sweet (Death Cab For Cutie's "Earth Angel" & Cake's "Strangers In The Night") to the stark and startling (The Dandy Warhols' "All I Have To Do Is Dream" & The Flaming Lips' "If I Only Had A Brain").

My only complaint is Phantom Planet's decision to play one of their own songs: "The Living Dead." While it seems appropriate to have such a song in a zombie game, the tune throws a monkey wrench into the gears of a 50's-styled album that would otherwise be thematically unified.

Despite this minor setback, however, this is a solid soundtrack whether you like doo-wop or not. Hell - it's a solid soundtrack whether you play the game itself or not.