50 First Dates

The Cure and a reggae beat certainly make strange bedfellows as, one assumes, do Adam Sandler and a girl with no short-term memory. In that sense, the 50 First Dates soundtrack is a good accompaniment to a fluffy romantic comedy in which one of the main characters is perpetually living in the past. It's also a fitting follow-up to that other Sandler/Barrymore vehicle, The Wedding Singer. (Take a set by Robbie Hart, add a topical shirt, and voilá: a new soundtrack is born.) To those who can't get enough of '80s hits like Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love" and the Cars' "Drive," setting them to a island beat will likely seem whimsical, charming, and perfect for barbecue weather. For those who are glad the '80s are gone, this CD is a pass. And for Sandler-completeists who crave lighthearted, comic tunes like "Forgetful Lucy," well, you obviously own this already. --Leah Weathersby