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Open Season is an adult-oriented cartoon about a pet bear that gets talked into going back to the forest by a mule dear. The bear has to learn how to be an animal again while being chased by a bunch of bloodthirsty hunters. High jinx ensue. Most of the songs on the soundtrack, with the exception of "Wild Wild Life" by Talking Heads and "I Wanna Loose Control (Uh Oh)" by Deathray, were written, performed and produced by Paul Westerberg in his basement studio.
Westerberg is the quintessential cult artist. Since leaving The Replacements, he's recorded ten albums that have been mildly successful commercially but earned him an avalanche of favorable press and a fanatical fan base. When he's good, Westerberg is transcendent, but his writing has often been uneven and undisciplined. That's not true here; the lyrics are sharp and finely balanced between lighthearted humor and poignant observations about growing up and growing old.
"Right To Arm Bears" is a rollicking anti-hunting tune that probably sounds better in the context of the film, but its fist pumping energy is irresistible nonetheless. The rest of the rockers here are just as good, stomping along with the casual energy Westerberg is famous for. "All About Me" is a strutting, Stones-flavored tongue in cheek ode to narcissism that could be the theme song for any rock 'n' roller. "Any Better Than This" is a happy-go-lucky celebration of life's simple pleasures, accented by a breezy keyboard fill that brings to mind a circus tent calliope. "Love You In The Fall" has a buoyant melody, while the lyrics muse upon the limitations of love and romance, lending the tune a poignant edge.
And while the rockers are all fine, it's the two ballads here that show off Westerberg's growing maturity as a songsmith. "Whisper Me Luck" is beautiful, melancholy refrain full of heartache and regret, loss and limitation, delivered simply with acoustic guitar, voice and subtle backing vocals. Likewise, "I Belong," a yearning, bluesy song that delves deeply into the wounded heart that somehow remains beating after the end of an affair. Westerberg's anxious vocal sounds like it's about a teardrop away from a nervous breakdown. He also drops "Good Day," a despondent track from his 1996 disc Eventually, into the mix.
Deathray, a group fronted by ex-Cake songwriter/guitarist Greg Drown delivers "Wild As I Wanna Be," another Westerberg tune, with a rousing neo-60s garage band arrangement: a Spencer Davis Group groove and a hint of girl group spunk. Talking Heads' "Wild Wild Life" you probably already know.
Writing music for films is a tricky business; even the tunes that win Best Song Oscars tend to be forgettable. Westerberg may well avoid that curse with this collection of crisp, well-crafted material. Westerberg has also written songs for two recent Cameron Crowe films: Singles, (which he also scored) and Elizabethtown—so it seems safe to say film work may offer Westerberg the opportunity to grow old gracefully and remain productive without the touring and insanity that plagued his earlier years.
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