Stubbs the Zombie - Original Soundtrack

Genre soundtrack Publisher Shout! Factory External Links Official Website Shout! Factory

Stubbs the Zombie is the soundtrack to a video game for Xbox (as well as for PC and Mac) featuring zombies (what else?) running rampant in a quaint 1950s town, chewing on brains, limbs, and whatever else fleshy that gets in their way. Not having played it, I can?t attest to whether or not it is any good, but I have heard the soundtrack to the game, dubbed "Rebel Without a Pulse," and, well...it's alright.

I gotta figure the music works better when you're playing as Stubbs, slowly stalking your next lethargic and/or stupid live prey, than it does just as a quirky listening experience.

Some songs are better redone than others, with Ben Kweller doing a very faithful version of "Lollipop," The Raveonettes seem to be born to cover "My Boyfriend's Back," and The Walkmen cast off "There Goes My Baby" so effortlessly, that the song fades out rather abruptly, almost as if they were performing the tune as a goof to fill up time.

Rogue Wave's "Everyday" is pleasantly inoffensive, while The Dandy Warhols' "All I Have To Do Is Dream" is just offensive in its dopeyness. Oranger have a grand time with "Mr. Sandman," while The Flaming Lips surprisingly fail at "If I Only Had a Brain." Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard invests the most emotional poignancy found on the soundtrack with the band?s take on "Earth Angel," giving weight to a rather fluffy song. And Rose Hill Drive deliver a fiery "Shakin' All Over," that comes about a block close to besting The Who's version.

If playing the game is a gas, that's perhaps reason to go out and buy this soundtrack, but on its own it's a bit of a bore and really not worth too much of an investment. In fact, even without having played the game, I'd give the edge to the game being more worth you hard-earned cash.