From the brilliantly twisted imaginations of
Dan Harmon
and
Justin Roiland
, animated cult favorite Rick and Morty disguises emotional depth and existential crisis with a heavy dose of foul humor and sci-fi genius. Appropriately, the show's first soundtrack also balances that oddball hilarity with emotional gravity, sometimes within the same song ("Fathers and Daughters" is a fine, scatological example). Journeying through the first three seasons,
The Rick and Morty Original Television Soundtrack
compiles the best musical moments and fan favorites, including the Cromulon hits "Get Schwifty" and "Raised Up"; Fart's interstellar
Bowie
-ballad "Goodbye Moonmen" (performed by
Flight of the Conchords
'
Jemaine Clement
); and the graphic grossout R&B slow jam, "Terryfold." Novelty gags "The Small Intestine Song" (modeled after "It's a Small World"), MC Haps' old-school hip-hop ditty "The Flu Hatin' Rap," and the rave-pop "Summer and Tinkles" make brief appearances, while a pair of Tiny Rick's urgent pleas for help ("Help Me I'm Gonna Die" and "Let Me Out") pull listeners back to the emotional core of the show, where care and concern for these characters somehow exists. Beautiful original compositions such as the piano-driven "Jerry's Rick"; the
Enya
-goes-tribal "African Dream Pop"; the shimmering "Tales from the Citadel"; and the epic heartbreaker "Unity Says Goodbye" allow series composer
Ryan Elder
to shine, while clever inclusions from
Mazzy Star
("Look on Down from the Bridge"),
Chad VanGaalen
("Stuttering Lights"), and
Belly
("Seal My Fate") recall crucial plot points. Of these, the best-utilized cuts also soundtracked some of the show's darkest, most shocking moments, including "For the Damaged Coda," the
Blonde Redhead
track that was used to devastating effect in two key reveals, and "Do You Feel It," the
Lorde
-esque
Chaos Chaos
song that played during an anguished suicide attempt. Even in the absence of certain show tunes and
Nine Inch Nails
' strategically placed "Hurt,"
is a crowd-pleaser, showcasing the wit and heart of this Emmy-winning show with a companion soundtrack that is as wildly inventive and surprisingly emotional. ~ Neil Z. Yeung