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| Rollingstone |
 Who knew Jeff Bridges had so much Texas country soul? The actor dominates this soundtrack, not just in the number of tracks he sings but in the quality of his husky burr. It doesn't hurt that he has a great producer (T Bone Burnett) and good material — courtesy of Ryan Bingham and the late Stephen Bruton, who co-wrote the songs for Bridges' character, down-on-his-luck singer Bad Blake. Bridges isn't the only actor here to deliver. Colin Farrell moans "Gone, Gone, Gone" like he grew up on the streets of Buck Owens' Bakersfield. It's fleshed out with choice modern and vintage offerings from Lucinda Williams, Kitty Wells and Tejano pioneer Lydia Mendoza...full text |
| Atlanta |
| As with many country-music-themed movies, ranging from the great (Tender Mercies) to the mostly lame (Pure Country), the plot in Crazy Heart has been done to death. Jeff Bridges assumes the role of the down-and-out singer whose fading career is invigorated by a sweet, young thing. But what stands out in this film is the effective use of both old and new music to carry the story. The soundtrack is a collaborative effort between the late Stephen Bruton and T-Bone Burnett. Bruton's poignant original material and instrumental compositions provide a near-perfect platform for Bridges, who does an adequate job performing the songs. The theme song, "The Weary Kind" by Ryan Bingham, has already won a Golden Globe, and the inclusion of classics by Buck Owens and the Louvin Brothers add credibility. Bruton finished the project mere days before he passed away from cancer in 2009, leaving a fine legacy. 4 out of 5 stars....full text |
| Esdmusic |
| At the turn of the century – just about the time the record industry was experiencing its Wile E. Coyote moment before plunging into its recent sales abyss – Jeff Bridges decided to start a label, Ramp Records, and release a Michael McDonald album alongside Bridges’ own solo debut, Be Here Now. Neither release received much attention at the time, but as vanity-plate recording projects from actors tend to go, Bridges’ wasn’t bad; he had a rumpled, Dude-like charm as a vocalist, and although his songwriting tended toward the ponderous (“Buddha & Christ at Large,” anyone?), the songs communicated the same calculatedly offhand attention to craft as his acting. Point is, Bridges’ critically acclaimed turn as the booze-soaked songwriter at the center of “Crazy Heart” isn’t wholly revelatory – and Be Here Now might have stood a better chance at being a hit if he’d surrounded his songs with stellar, downbeat performances from artists like Buck Owens, Sam Phillips, and the Louvett Brothers....full text |
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