Hope Floats [Original Soundtrack]

The to , the romantic comedy designed as a comeback vehicle for , is an excellent collection of and rootsy mainstream assembled by . Most of the record focuses on popular artists, with contributions from cult artists and tossed in for good measure, but the quality of the music is so strong, it doesn't really matter. Much of the record features brand new material, whether it's originals like 's or covers from ( ), ), and ). There are a couple of dull moments scattered throughout the record, but overall, it's one of the finest various-artists collections in recent memory. [The 2007 reissue includes five bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine