Various Artists - Coyote Ugly Soundtrack - Music & Performance - CD

Much like the film itself, the soundtrack to the sexy-barmaids-with-hearts-of-gold dramedy Coyote Ugly is an incongruous mix of glitz, sleaze, and naivete. The bar's surprisingly dated jukebox staples include Don Henley's "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," EMF's "Unbelievable," Snap!'s "The Power" and INXS' "Need You Tonight"; strangely enough, the album doesn't include Blondie's "One Way or Another," which plays a key role in helping struggling singer/songwriter Violet (Piper Perabo) overcome her stage fright. Violet's own songs -- as penned by Diane Warren and performed by LeAnn Rimes -- have a more contemporary feel, borrowing the personas of a wide variety of young female artists. As Violet emerges from her shell, her songs evolve from the demure, Jewel-esque love song "But I Do Love You" to "The Right Kind of Wrong" -- a sassy modern rock song a la Alanis Morissette -- to the positively Britney Spearsian power ballad "Can't Fight the Moonlight." Problem is, the soundtrack's original songs don't mix especially well with the better-known pop songs. However, this probably won't bother the film's, and album's, target audience; the soundtrack's jumbled yet enjoyable mix of pop cliches mirrors the feel of the film perfectly. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide