(500) Days of Summer

"I love the Smiths," Zooey Deschanel enthuses during the early moments of (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, thus setting the stage for her relationship with Brit-pop fanatic Joseph Gordon-Levitt. With music playing such an integral role in the storyline, it's refreshing to see that the accompanying soundtrack does its job well, distilling the characters' record collections (not to mention the movie's quirky, nostalgic ambience) into one eclectic tracklist. Regina Spektor contributes two songs to the mix, but the Smiths are awarded the most screen time, performing two songs ("There is a Light That Never Goes Out," "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want") and providing the source material for a swoony cover song by She & Him. Another Smith -- the whimsical singer/songwriter Meaghan Smith -- delivers one of the album's most poignant moments with "Here Comes Your Man," a tune that holds it own amidst a collection of folk classics and Brit-pop hits.