By Sean R. Grogan



"Up! Up! And Away!"

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and now emanating from your home stereo, Superman has returned. Just in time for Warner Brothers new film Superman Returns, Sound of Superman features songs inspired by the Man of Steel from a variety of popular alternative artists including Motion city Soundtrack, American Hi-Fi, Maxeen, and a track from Sara Routh, the sister of Superman himself. Full of upbeat, wholesome and energetic tracks, it's the ideal theme music for the all-American boy...from Krypton.

The opening track, a cover of REM's "I am Superman," by The Academy Is... is a high-energy ride of rock guitars and playful vocalization reminiscent of a Scooby Doo chase scene. Its antithesis is Paramore’s acoustic cover of the classic Foo Fighter tune, "My Hero." The band's front woman, 17-year old Hayley Williams, provides the sweet, soothing, and emotionally tight vocals for this fresh Tennessee band’s first forte into the world of musical compilations. Keep an eye on Paramore, they may be young, but they have a chemistry and vitality that is rare to find. Another standout is Royal's "Brainiac's Daughter," a whimisical ride about the daughter of one of Supe’s longtime foes, that brings to mind the experimental Beatles song "I Am The Walrus." Though there are a handful of tracks on the record that aren't quite about Superman, they all flow seamlessly, and make you believe a man can fly.