The album's a brisk re-introduction to Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and their puppet pals as classic Muppet tunes mix it up with new songs from Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame.
Die hard fans will be delighted by the presence of 'Rainbow Connection' and 'Mah Na Mah Na', yet the stand-outs come from fresh contributions - notably toe-tapping number 'Life's a Happy Song', Amy Adams's 'Party of One' and 'Man or Muppet'.
The latter, a brilliant '80s-style power ballad that finds the movie's driving characters Gary (Segel) and Walter wrestling with existential crises, earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination in January.
Some popular hits also get the unique Muppet treatment, including a squawking rendition of 'Forget You' from Gonzo's chickens and Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' reworked by The Muppet Barbershop Quartet. The 31 tracks (some are excerpts of dialogue from the film) breeze by quickly, with only Olly Murs's 'Dance with Me' X Factor performance feeling like an unnecessary inclusion.
Those who've seen The Muppets beforehand will have a better experience with this soundtrack, but nevertheless it's a joyously upbeat album. With Chris Cooper's evil oil baron Tex Richman rapping lines like "I got cashflow like Robert has De Niros", it's almost impossible not to raise a smile when listening.
Tracks to download: 'Man or Muppet', 'Life's a Happy Song', ''Party of One, 'Rainbow Connection', 'We Built this City'
If you like this, you'll like: Muppets: The Green Album
Watch the 'Man or Muppet' music video below:
