Album review: 'Sex and the City: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' (New Line) ..

The best film soundtracks are able to stand as albums on their own, from "Easy Rider" to "Garden State," superb compilations that complement the movie but are appreciable on their own merits. Such is not the case with the soundtrack to the upcoming "Sex and the City" feature film.

A cursory glance at the artists featured reveals few surprises - Fergie, Jem, Jennifer Hudson, Indie.Arie - strong, iconic female figures, singing anthemic love songs. The outlandish Morningwood are an obvious choice, as their sexually charged rock fits "Sex and the City" perfectly. Run-D.M.C.'s classic rendition of "Walk This Way" is a nice touch but is another far-from-surprising inclusion.

And some of the tracks by lesser-known artists are actively painful. "All This Beauty" by The Weepies is a sickeningly sweet, blatantly commercial bastardization of '60s pop, while the slow-dance ballad "How Deep is Your Love" by The Bird & The Bee would be interesting if it went anywhere. "Kissing" by Bliss is a throwaway ditty without substance and is obviously the soundtrack to the inevitable tender make-up scene between Carrie and Big toward the end of the film.

In fact, the only really and truly worthwhile inclusions on the entire soundtrack are Al Green's breathtaking "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (with a surprisingly strong guest vocal by Joss Stone), and the instantly recognizable theme song, as performed by the Pfeifer Broz. Orchestra.

Unfortunately, if this soundtrack and the equally predictable movie trailers are any indication, the movie, based on the endlessly popular TV series, is going to be insipid, unsurprising and so bloated on its female-empowerment-through-sexual-escapades shtick that even the continuation of the series' drama won't be enough to make the flick watchable.

Speaking as a member of the testosterone-driven half of humanity, I realize this view is very subjective and that I can't possibly comprehend what would drive someone like Carrie Bradshaw to bury herself in debt to buy more shoes, or why she would leave Aiden for Big - but hey, at least I've done my homework.