In 2004 TV star Zach Braff made his directorial debut in a film that he also wrote and starred in, the film, Garden State spoke to a generation of early-twentiesomethings trying to figure out their place in the world. While Garden State became a sleeper indie hit and a cult classic among fans, its soundtrack propelled the careers of artists like The Shins, Frou Frou, Iron and Wine, and Thievery Corporation. The music compilation still remains to be one of the greatest film soundtracks not just of the last 20 years but of all time. From the moment Natalie Portman's character told Braff's, "You gotta hear this one song — it’ll change your life; I swear," that song playing "New Slang" by then relatively unknown indie band, The Shins was not just a moment for film but created a moment for the band. While The Shins may have been name dropped in the movie, music from artists like Coldplay, Simon & Garfunkel, Nick Drake, Remy Zero all worked perfectly in the scenes they were used. Isolated from the film however, the songs flow like a brilliant compilation, taking fans of the film to the scenes in which they are played and taking those to that may have never seen the film to a new realm with a generally acoustic and subtle sounding soundtrack.
