Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel
When one tries to think of the names of recording artists who have stayed active
and popular for close to half a century, the list is likely to be surprisingly slim. Offhand, names like Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones might come to mind. It is unlikely that one would think of a fictional novelty act to include in this sort of list, yet the squeaky-voiced cartoon group The Chipmunks has been around for more than 50 years.
Such a fact is likely to go unnoticed by today's current audience for the Chipmunks, many of whom are youngsters unable to even remember a time before the days of music downloads and MP3 players.
As such, it is perhaps not surprising that many of the songs on the soundtrack for Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: the Squeakquel are covers of recent pop hits. What is surprising, in perhaps an unintended nod to the Chipmunks' enduring longevity, is the large number of oldies that have also been dusted off and given a new sound for the compilation.
As such, this soundtrack kicks off with a cover of The Kinks' classic 40-plus year-old staple You Really Got Me, which succeeds in making the ancient fresh again, thanks in part to the current pop boy band Honor Society, whose accompaniment with the Chipmunks' helium singing prevents the song from sounding unintentionally ludicrous.
Next up is a track from the female counterparts of the Munks, the Chipettes' Hot n Cold. This Katy Perry cover harkens back to one of the sillier qualities of the Chipmunks: sound-alike versions of popular songs that add little to the original besides squeaky voices.
Several other tracks on this compilation also suffer from this quality as well, such as So What, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), I Want to Know What Love Is, I Gotta Feeling, and Put Your Records On. Despite this, even the too-similar sounding songs remain upbeat, inoffensive, and listenable fun.
Some of the other attempts at updating older songs are a mixed bag. The lush dancepop production on You Spin me Round (Like a Record) and Shake your Groove Thing makes for frequently re-playable tracks, while the heavy backbeat added to Stayin' Alive does not prevent it from sounding dated.
Unfortunately, the soundtrack does start to wear out its welcome a bit by the time it reaches a cover of Sister Sledge's We are Family. The annoyingly ubiquitous staple gets no favours from the Chipmunks and Chippettes' sped-up voices, whose shrillness becomes an almost ear-splitting annoyance.
Despite these minor quibbles, the soundtrack also surprises with a few unexpectedly good original songs, such as It's OK and the caffeinated rocker Bring it On. Perhaps the best is the Chipettes' highlight The Song, featuring German dance pop group Queensbury. It's a nicely balanced, upbeat piece of Girl Power fluff.
Even those who scoff at the idea of listening to a whole album full of high voices might find themselves enjoying the soundtrack to Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: the Squeakquel, a fine testament to a long-lasting part of music history.
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel
By: BigPond Music
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