Every week here at Fast Forward, we receive another deluge of new CDs. We do our best to sort through them all, but inevitably some releases will fall through the cracks and won’t be reviewed. Here, then, is our second attempt at clearing out the ever-growing stockpile, with another grab bag of soundtracks, re-releases and albums we just plain missed.

TEXT BREAKER: Celluloid sounds (movie soundtracks)

SONDRE LERCHE – Dan in Real Life Original Soundtrack (EMI)

Norway’s Sondre Lerche has been quietly putting out some of the finest Bacharach-esque pop out there since his 2002 debut, Faces Down, so it’s only fitting that he’s made the leap to movie soundtracks. His tunes for this Steve Carrel vehicle are still as charming as ever, particularly on “Hell No,” a duet with anti-folk songstress Regina Spektor.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Dedication Film Soundtrack (Koch)

Director Justin Theroux’s off-kilter romance hasn’t garnered much notice to date, but its soundtrack is an attention-grabber. Mixing softer, bluesy numbers (Cat Power’s “Back of your Head,” Buddy Moss’s “Red River Blues”) with spastic noise from Deerhoof (who contribute four songs) and Lightning Bolt, it doesn’t exactly flow, but it certainly makes you wonder about any movie that could include all these songs in its soundtrack.

TEXT BREAKER: Old and notable (re-releases)

LED ZEPPELIN – The Song Remains the Same (Atlantic)

After the recent “one-off” Led Zeppelin reunion (we’ll see how long it takes for them to conduct an all-out tour), the timing couldn’t be better for a reissue of Zep’s live show in the band’s ’70s prime. The new version finally includes the songs that were originally only in the concert film (“Black Dog” among them) and boosts the audio quality substantially. Also worth checking out: Mothership, Zep’s first-ever greatest hits package with its exquisitely remastered songs. It’s an obvious cash grab, but damned if “Dazed and Confused” doesn’t sound fantastic with a proper low end.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Best of the Vee-Jay Years (Shout Factory)

Back in the ’50s and ’60s, Vee Jay records was home to some of the finest acts in blues, R&B and soul. The fine folks at Shout! Factory have taken up the task of remastering and reissuing some of the finest releases from the label’s prime, including collections from bluesman Jimmy Reed, doo-woppers The Dells (“Jeepers Creepers”) and gospel legends The Staple Singers, featuring a young but still show-stopping Mavis Staples. Each features reasonably comprehensive liners, but the pristine recordings are the real reason to pick them up.

TEXT BREAKER: Through the cracks (new releases)

C.R. AVERY – MAGIC HOUR SAILOR SONGS

Mixing beat-influenced poetry with Tom Waits-style piano ballads may be exactly what Tom Waits was doing 30 years ago, but there aren’t many people doing it now. Avery knows how to turn a phrase (say, a story about a boxer who spends his life “chasing the bottle, and women who would call him ugly to his face”) and adds some impressive beat-boxing to the mix, which results in a surprisingly electric live experience. Unfortunately, Magic Hour Sailor Songs doesn’t quite capture his in-person charisma, but it’s still a promising effort from a musician taking a path less travelled.

THE BIG LIE – S/T (Defend Music)

The Big Lie’s schtick (a group of friends who may or may not be in more famous bands release an album but refuse to divulge their identities) is a bit hokey, but it’s hard to deny the hooks on their self-titled release. Their catchy power-pop could sit easily alongside releases from The Meligrove Band — it even stacks up favourably next to the latest from West Coast supergroup The New Pornographers. Now if they’d just get past the secrecy and announce a tour.

4 BONJOUR’S PARTIES – Pigments Drift Down to the Brook (Mush)

Yes, the band’s name makes no sense whatsoever, but what do you expect from a Japanese post-rock outfit? Well, if you answered lushly arranged tracks with an abundance of woodwinds and endearingly accented vocals, that’s about right. The winds keep the mood mellow even when the guitar and drums are crashing to a climax, but the rich melodies keep you involved even as you’re being lulled.

FRIDGE – The Sun (Temporary Residence)

It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from Fridge, as the band has been overshadowed by its members’ side projects — Keiran Hebden has been busy both in his solo project Four Tet and with noted jazz drummer Steve Reid; Adem Ilhan has been releasing solo records as Adem. The Sun, the band’s first release in almost six years, proves those extracurriculars have done nothing to dull their impact. Thanks to long percussive stretches and a willingness to explore noise-influenced atmospherics, The Sun can require a bit of patience before its songs reveal themselves, but it’s well worth the time.