When you try to think of the names of artists who have been active and popular for almost half a century, the list is likely to be surprisingly sparse. Suddenly names like Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones may come to mind. One is unlikely to think of a novel act of fiction to include on this type of list, yet the squeaky-voiced cartoon group The Chipmunks has been around for more than 50 years.
This fact is likely to go unnoticed by today’s Squirrel audience, many of whom are youngsters who can’t even remember a time before the days of music downloads and MP3 players.
As such, it is perhaps not surprising that many of the songs on the Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: the Squeakquel soundtrack are covers of recent pop hits. What’s surprising, perhaps in an inadvertent nod to the Chipmunks’ enduring longevity, is the sheer number of old songs that have also been dusted off and given a new sound for the compilation.
As such, this soundtrack begins with a cover of The Kinks’ 40+ classic You Really Got Me that manages to make old things fresh again, thanks in part to the current pop boy band Honor Society. , whose accompaniment with the helium chant of the Chipmunks keeps the song from sounding unintentionally ridiculous.
The following is a theme from the female counterparts of ‘Munks, the Chipettes’ Hot n’ Cold. This Katy Perry cover harks back to one of the chipmunks’ dumbest qualities: similar-sounding versions of popular songs that add little to the original other than squeaky vocals.
Several other tracks on this compilation also suffer from this quality, such as So What, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), I Want to Know What Love Is, I Gotta Feeling, and Put Your Records On. Despite this, even songs that sound too similar are still upbeat, harmless, and fun.
Some of the other attempts to update old songs are a mixed bag. The lush dancepop production on You Spin me Round (Like a Record) and Shake your Groove Thing keeps the tracks playing frequently, while the heavy backbeat added to Stayin ‘Alive doesn’t keep it from sounding dated.
Unfortunately, the soundtrack starts to wear down its welcome a bit when it hits a version of Sister Sledge’s We are Family. The annoying and ubiquitous staple doesn’t get favors from the fast-paced voices of Chipmunks and Chippettes, whose shrillness becomes an almost deafening annoyance.
Despite these small objections, the soundtrack also surprises with some unexpectedly good original songs, such as It’s OK and the caffeinated rocker Bring it On. Perhaps the best is the highlight of the Chipettes, The Song, with the German dance pop group Queensbury. It’s a happy, balanced piece of Girl Power fluff.
Even those who scoff at the idea of hearing a full album full of loud voices can find themselves enjoying the soundtrack to Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: the Squeakquel, a good testament to an enduring part of music history.