Original Soundtrack - Flicka [Original Soundtrack] (CD)

All Music Guide

The 2006 adaptation of Mary O'Hare's My Friend Flicka has yielded an album's worth of heartfelt songs about horses and the girls who love them. It seems like Tim McGraw (who produced the album and appeared in the movie) approached the project from the standpoint of a father making a mixed tape for his horsecrazy daughter. It's a good mix of old and new, slick and dusty. There are some sugary ballads by the Warren Brothers, Natasha Bedingfield, and Hank Williams' granddaughter Holly Williams, but McGraw doesn't leave it at that, throwing in a gritty live track by his road band, the Dancehall Doctors, and a spare version of Donovan's 1965 single "Catch the Wind." These are welcome additions; the warm, nostalgic lull of "Catch the Wind" and the gritty, country western bar swagger of "The Fireman" shake up the otherwise smooth and polished array of contemporary country and pop artists found here. Of note to McGraw fans will be the previously unreleased single, "My Little Girl," a ballad t...hat hearkens back to other McGraw hits like "Don't Take the Girl" or "It's Your Love." And the swelling rendition of "All the Pretty Little Ponies" is a fitting end to the compilation. Those who enjoyed Flicka will likely enjoy this soundtrack, as it captures some of the poignancy and nostalgia of the film. - Margaret Reges, All Music Guide Read more Less