This is a bizarre album to review because there is no central artist, rather, there is a central vibe and theme. The corresponding movie is drenched in a nostalgic feeling that these songs reflect heavily. 

“Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl” is a pretty straightforward cover, but is more lofi and glitchy, which makes it fit incredibly well within the movie. Like most songs on this album, it exudes a feeling of sorrow that is only heightened in the movie when it plays while the main character navigates both high school and their reluctance to accept themselves for who they are.

“Starburned and Unkissed” is my personal favorite song of not just this album but of the whole year. The simple percussion and quiet synths lull you into a false sense of security before the chorus arrives and a shoegaze-esque guitar just swallows everything. Caroline Polachek’s vocals are phenomenal throughout the song, but my favorite part is at the end of the chorus when her voice becomes so distorted that it’s hard to distinguish the vocals from the instrumental.

“Taper” by Maria BC feels distant. The subdued, repetitive guitar paired with angelic-sounding vocals makes this feel melancholic, but in the film, it’s recontextualized to feel more like someone beginning to come to terms with who they truly are. The lyrics about someone being hard to find and how their fate is a compromise tie directly into the central conflict of “I Saw the TV Glow” where Owen (played by Justice Smith) refuses to accept their gender identity out of fear.

Despite being a soundtrack for a movie with 15 different artists creating 15 different songs, this project still feels cohesive to a degree with little to no weak spots. It’s definitely worth watching the movie to see these songs in context, but listening to this project as if it were a “regular” album makes perfect sense too.