If there's one type of album that's exceptionally difficult to review, it's film soundtracks. Particularly ones where the music was created especially for said film. When you have yet to see said film, it's practically impossible. Therefore, I won't give a mark to Ralfe Band's soundtrack to Bunny and the Bull, but it's too damn loveable not to mention on the site at all.

The film, if you weren't aware, was directed by Paul King, who directed all three series of The Mighty Boosh as well as working on the criminally underrated Garth Marenghi's Dark Place. This pedigree helps me when attempting to comment on the movie, as I can fairly safely say that:

a. it won't be shit
b. it won't be Avatar (though, in fairness, I could probably just refer you to a. at this point)
c. it's likely to be fairly quirky
d. it's likely to be very funny

Having seen the above trailer, I can now say with some certainty that points a-d look to be correct, and would like to add that it looks like a very British take on a Wes Anderson/Michel Gondry type affair. Oh, and I want to see it very much.

So, the music. Well, it was produced in its entirety by Oxford's Ralfe Band, and comprises 22 pieces of largely instrumental music, ranging from a playful though suitably melancholic take on a silent movie, piano-led soundtrack ('Stephen', 'Attics') to more idiosyncratic stuff that could easily appear in an episode of the Boosh - 'Museum' being a prime case, involving quirky organ, hand claps, cod oriental xylophone and 'Apache'-esque analogue riff. Occasionally, as on 'Atlantis Rising', both silent movie and madcap psychedelia combine, with the wistful piano leading to a surf guitar stomp. It sounds like The Wombles covering Dirty Three, which can only be marvellous. It's breathless and very inventive, and the soundtrack format means that no idea outstays its welcome.

Just three of the tracks are punctuated with vocals. The pick of these would be the understated, accordion waltz of 'Fiesta Song', which is almost impossibly sweet. In fact, the success of the Bunny and the Bull soundtrack as a whole is that it dares to be quirky, dares to be sweet, yet never seems saccharine. If the film itself manages the same trick then I cannot wait to see it. Oh, and listening to this soundtrack livens up a walk to the corner shop no end.

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