Unlike The Wedding Planner, the first J-Lo movie of 2001, there are no songs from
Jennifer Lopez on the soundtrack to Angel Eyes. Perhaps that's because The Wedding Planner was designed to be a big multi-media extravaganza and Angel Eyes is a bit more serious, but in any case, some fans may be disappointed. Nevertheless, this soundtrack holds together well, blending together adult contemporary pop songs with classy offerings for the NPR set, ranging from
Etta James and
Shemekia Copeland to
Nick Lowe's torch song "You Inspire Me" and
Jon Hassell's deliberately
Chet Baker-styled rendition of "Nature Boy." Much of the first half of the album is a little bland, but it picks up momentum as it goes along, and, sonically, it's all of a piece. This doesn't result in a memorable soundtrack, but it fits the tone of the movie (even if it isn't as compelling). ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine