I've never seen Kids. I just don't care, really. Art or exploitation, or some measure of each, I just am not interested. That said, the score is another matter entirely. From John Davis and Lou Barlow (Sebadoh) operating as The Folk Impolsion, Music for Kids had a life of its own. "Natural One" may have even been a bigger alt-rock hit than anything from Barlow's Sebadoh. The soundtrack has been reissued by Domino and it's worth a revisit.
"Natural One" is here, as is the raucous "Daddy Never Understood", a punk-y number with Bob Fay (Sebadoh) on it. Those two are real highlights, but numbers like "Raise the Bells" reveal a knack for mood and nuance from these players. The more down-tempo "Burning Paper" and "Checking In" insinuate themselves into your ears. There's little here that's dated in the approach of these musicians, though the remix of "Insinuation" by Dust Brothers, for example, screams the Nineties.
Music for Kids stands on its own. It single-handedly gave Barlow's Folk Impolsion enough attention that the band got nearly as much ink as his better Sebadoh. But this stuff is good. It's moody, good, and worth your time. Again.
Music for Kids is out now via Domino.