Music From The OC: Mix 1 (Warner, 2004) - * * * *
Sex, lies, soapy dramatic tension and teen angst, a breakup and reconciliation, followed by a little more sex for good measure.
That's the general recipe for a typical episode of Fox's latest ratings darling "The OC." But what you might have missed if you haven't taken the time to watch the show is the way the episodes rely on an absolutely brilliant soundtrack of indie artists in order to truly affect the audience. Where shows like "Scrubs" and "Dawson's Creek" have gone before, the producers of the "OC" have gotten it right for once. This soundtrack actually succeeds as an album.
True care has been taken to put this collection together. It is almost like the music director was a fan of "High Fidelity," because the flow of this album is what really impresses. It isn't a slap-dash mix slammed together randomly from songs on the show... rather, each song leads into the next, building until the album's conclusion, when fans get their taste of the full version of Phantom Planet's "California" (the show's theme, which is perhaps the only song that feels out of place here). When the album ended, I couldn't help but hit repeat again and again. An album I picked up expecting little turned into one I simply can't put down.
The reasons are many. Where else could you hear "Honey and The Moon," a lush and sophisticated piece by acclaimed indie artist Joseph Arthur, followed by the punchy alt-pop confection "The Way We Get By," by Spoon? Both songs are favorites of mine, but I never would have thought to put them on the same disc. Later on the album, the wrenching melody of Turin Brakes' stunner "Rain City" leads into "We Used To Be Friends" by the Dandy Warhols, which takes the album out of its emotional overdrive and into more upbeat territory.
Other songs brought up other unexpected associations for my TV addicted self, from the opening track, South's "Paint The Silence," which is frequently used in TNT "sappy movie of the month" ads, to the stunning song "Orange Sky" by Alexi Murdoch, which will be forever etched in my head thanks to a damned car commercial. Everything comes together, songs you've heard before and those you haven't, to create a whole you'd never expect from a cheesy prime time soap.
That's the key when you're putting together a great mix tape, making sure the evocative moments are balanced out by more upbeat tracks, to keep a listener interested. You're not creating new music as a soundtrack producer, you're telling a story with others' music, so you have to do a good job of letting the songs speak for themselves. "Music From The OC: Mix 1" works because the producers put the music up front in order to tell a story of their own. This is proven by the bonus content of the CD, through which you can watch each scene play out complete with the music.
Bottom line? Buy this album, sit back and throw your expectations out the window. You're in for a real treat.
For More Information:
Visit http://inmyheadphones.blogspot.com, where you can find MP3 samples of music reviewed, links to artists' pages, and occasional critiques that don't make it onto the pages of 72HOURS!
Local Artists: Want to have your album featured in "In My Headphones?" E-mail jonathansanders@justice.com!
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