The 2006 adaptation of
Mary O'Hare
's
My Friend Flicka
(here titled
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 horse-crazy 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
fans will be the previously unreleased single,
"My Little Girl,"
a ballad that hearkens back to other
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
will likely enjoy this
soundtrack
, as it captures some of the poignancy and nostalgia of the film. ~ Margaret Reges