Is the Soundtrack for ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ the Most Wes Anderson-y Soundtrack Yet?

In a word: yes. Where once Wes split his soundtracks fairly evenly between Mark Mothersbaugh’s original scores and rock and punk classics (the Who and John Lennon for Rushmore, the Clash and the Ramones for The Royal Tenenbaums, etc.), Moonrise Kingdom will predominantly feature French singer Françoise Hardy, legendary composer Leo-nard Bern-stein, classical music great Benjamin Britten, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center member Peter Jarvis, and Alexandre Desplat, BAFTA “Best Music” winner for The King’s Speech.

The only real throwbacks are Mark Mothersbaugh, naturally, and the amazing Hank Williams, whose “Kaw-Liga,” “Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” and “Ramblin’ Man” are included.

So, yes, it is the most Wes Anderson-y soundtrack yet, because it has more songs “you don’t know you like yet, but will put them on your iPod after seeing Moonrise Kingdom, and then people will look at your iPod, see a song from the soundtrack, and make a comment about how they heard that song ‘in the Wes Anderson movie’ and how ‘it’s amazing’” than his previous soundtracks. Also, it’s a movie set in the 1960s that doesn’t include a single rock song from the 1960s. That’s hella Wes Anderson. Full tracklisting below, album’s out on May 22.

01 Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic – “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34: Themes A-F”
02 Peter Jarvis and His Drum Corps – “Camp Ivanhoe Cadence Medley”
03 English Chamber Orchestra, Benjamin Britten – “‘Playful Pizzicato’ from Simple Symphony, Op. 4”
04 Hank Williams – “Kaw-Liga”
05 Trevor Anthony, Owen Brannigan, David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, Caroline Clack, Marie-Therese Pinto, Eileen O’Donovan, Chorus of Animals, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘Noye, Noye, Take Thou Thy Company'”
06 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 1: A Veiled Mist”
07 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 2: Smoke/Fire”
08 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 3: The Salt Air”
09 Choir of Downside School, Purley, Emanuel School Wandsworth, Boys’ Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Britten – “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2: ‘On the Ground, Sleep Sound'”
10 Hank Williams – “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”
11 Leonard Bernstein & the New York Philharmonic – “Le Carnaval des Animaux: ‘Volière'”
12 Françoise Hardy – “Le Temps de l’Amour”
13 Alexandra Rubner, Christopher Manien – “An die Musik”
14 Hank Williams – “Ramblin’ Man”
15 Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten – “Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: ‘Old Abram Brown'”
16 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe Parts 4-6: Thunder, Lightning, and Rain”
17 David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, Owen Brannigan, Sheila Rex, Caroline Clack, Marie-Therese Pinto, Eileen O’Donovan, Patricia Garrod, Margaret Hawes, Kathleen Petch, Gillian Saunders, Trevor Anthony, Chorus of Animals, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘The Spacious Firmament on High'”
18 Trevor Anthony, Chorus of Animals, Sheila Rex, David Pinto, Darian Angadi, Stephen Alexander, English Opera Group Orchestra, Merlin Channon, Norman Del Mar – “Noye’s Fludde, Op. 59: ‘Noye, Take Thy Wife Anone'”
19 Leonard Bernstein & The New York Philharmonic – “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Op. 34 Fugue: Allegro Motto”
20 Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, Benjamin Britten – “Songs From Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: ‘Cuckoo!'”
21 Alexandre Desplat – “The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 7: After The Storm”

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