Case, The Gift Deliver 'Real Country'

January 25 -- The soundtrack for The Gift — a Southern Gothic thriller directed by Sam Raimi and starring Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, and Keanu Reeves — carries a sticker that promises the listener "Real Country Music."

But after reading the roster of musicians featured on the soundtrack, fans of the music currently topping the country charts might feel that The Gift should carry another sticker as well — one that reads "Buyer Beware."

There's not a Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, or Tim McGraw song in the bunch.

To convey the haunting, melancholy atmosphere of the film, the soundtrack relies on the music of country legends like Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and Willie Nelson.

Blevin O'Neil, the executive producer of the soundtrack for Lakeshore Records who compiled the music for the film, says that when it came time to pair the songs of the old school with those of their contemporary counterparts, the label deliberately eschewed the sounds of "New Nashville." Rather than dropping in hits by Faith Hill or Garth Brooks, O'Neil explains that Lakeshore chose up-and-coming traditionalists like Neko Case, Amy Nelson, and The Souvenirs because these artists better reflected the "Americana feel" of the film.

Case, whose plaintive "Furnace Room Lullaby" and "Pretty Girls" are perfect companions to the work of the elders on The Gift, thinks that the soundtrack accurately captures the tone of the film. She also believes it is an effective barometer for forecasting the future of country.

"People want there to be another Golden Age for country music," she says, specifically nodding to the days when Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn reigned on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

In fact, the state of the music scene that's currently driving the country charts leaves Case unimpressed.

"It's pretty much at an all-time low," she says.

If the artists on The Gift soundtrack, as well as the current success of the O Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack are any indication, then plenty of people share Case's sentiment. The soundtrack for the Coen brothers' latest film has climbed into the Top 10 on Billboard's country chart. It has also been the best-selling CD at Amazon.com for consecutive days — even outselling The Beatles. What makes these sales figures even more impressive is that they were achieved with little support from major radio stations.