Originally published on CastAlbums.org.

It’s always a little suspicious when a film’s soundtrack gets a wider release or more notice than the film itself. Suffice it to say, I had never heard of the 2014 film Life of an Actress when I received my review copy of the soundtrack. Normally, between that the even more glaring red flag of a film that was written, composed, directed, and produced by the same person — Paul Chau, a former banker whose only previous artistic credits of note were a previous documentary film of the same name and producer billing on a couple of revivals — I wouldn’t even bother. But with a cast including Orfeh, Taylor Louderman, and Allison Case, I figured it was worth giving the album the benefit of the doubt.

How much you’ll enjoy this soundtrack depends entirely on how much you’re able to let some great performances carry you past other shortcomings: pleasant but undistinguished music set with leaden lyrics (sample: “I want to be an accountant / that’s my dream / the first in my family / with a college degree”), and a four piece, synthesizer-heavy band that would sound cheap in a tiny off-Broadway setting. (The band is particularly egregious given how far forward in the mix it is, with its single violin often overpowering the singers.)

Maybe this is the kind of album that coheres a bit more once you’ve seen the film, but I can find no trace of it existing beyond single screenings in New York and Los Angeles last year. The project’s website speaks of an in-development stage version, and you’ve got to admire Paul Chau’s pluck, if not his talent.