As soundtracks go, "Paper Towns" comes close to perfection in the job it performs. It works as the optimum seasoning to the main dish - the movie - but its enchanting composition also works as a stand-alone amuse-bouche.
The youthful energy of the protagonists is the common thread throughout the 16-track playlist, with sparkly contemporary electro pop beats and '80s-suffused chords. If one were to peel back the modern beats - say the exotic brass from Santigold's "Radio" or the languid drums from Sam Bruno's "Search Party" - one would end up in the perfectly respectable world of a John Hughes' film soundtrack.
Galantis' urgently upbeat "Runaway (U & I)" adds the most contemporary feel to the album, while Kindness' "Swinging Party" takes one on an eerie trip. The War On Drugs' "Burning" is the Springsteen of the soundtrack with a natural rock swagger, and Haim's "Falling" is a crowd-pleaser.
But it is Son Lux's wailing and ticking on "Lost It to Trying" that becomes the belle of the ball.