With the declining quality of music on MTV and the contrived and repetitive playlists heard on the radio, the "Music from the O.C." series is a breath of fresh air, especially "Mix 4," which seems like the series' best release thus far. Not only do these albums serve as a source of credible music, but they provide a means for lesser-known bands to show their stuff. The only complaint I have is that the album's tracks weren't accompanied by clips of the scenes in which they played.
The album starts off with the quirky and clever "Decent Days and Nights," the debut single by post-punk pop's The Futureheads. The song's steady drumming and the accented guitar riffs after each chorus make it ideal as an album opener. The next track is the ballad "Goodnight and Go," by Imogen Heap. If you think she sounds like someone you've heard before, then you're right. Heap is half of the band Frou-Frou. The song's gentle beat and light keyboard interludes accompanied by Heap's airy vocals aptly captured the mood of "The Sno.C.," the episode in which it played. Following Heap's wispy track is the equally calming "Fortress," whose vocals are nearly indistinguishable until its anthem-like chorus kicks in. The song, by indie rockers Pinback, played during the episode "The New Era" while Seth and Ryan hung out in the Harbor Quad.
Next is "On The Table," by The New Pornographer's front man A.C. Newman. The album's fourth track takes us back to the same pop sounds as the disc's opener. It uses the word "innocent" quite a few times, which is ironic since it appeared in the episode in which Seth and Ryan discuss Caleb's arrest. Following it is the beautiful "To Be Alone with You," by critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens. The song's soft strumming and bittersweet lyrics perfectly parallel the never-ending love sagas of Seth, Ryan, Marissa and Summer. Norwegian folktronica quartet Flunk continues the serene mood with their Bjork-esque "Play," another lyrically beautiful love song.
Alternative rock icon Beck is next with "Scarecrow," which appeared along with four other songs from his upcoming album "Guero" in the "Mallpisode" (also nicknamed the "Beckpisode"). "Scarecrow" opens with the cawing of crows and uses atmospherics and tambourines to put a twist on Beck's folk roots. The hit alternative band Modest Mouse follows with "The View," which they played live during their performance at the Bait Shop. The song has an existential feel to it, making it one of the album's best tracks. Aqueduct's "Hardcore Days and Softcore Nights" is the next track. Its synthesized sirens and almost monotone verses makes it one of my least favorite tracks of the album. Still, it has great drum riffs and fits the mood of the show. The album ends on a mellow but excellent note with the tracks "Cartwheels," "Eve, The Apple of My Eye" and "Champagne Supernova" by The Reindeer Section, Bell X1 and Matt Pond PA, respectively. All three continue to fit the show's storyline like a glove with their melancholy love ballad lyrics and soft sound. "Cartwheels" can be heard while Seth sketches Summer, "Eve" fittingly appears during the Valentine's Day episode when Seth realizes that he's lost Summer for good, and "Champagne Supernova" (a cover of Oasis' mid-'90s hit) plays while Summer and Seth finally get back together and kiss during a Spider-Man inspired scene.
The album is without a doubt worth checking out. If you love "The O.C." then you'll love "Mix 4," but those who refuse to watch the show or still consider it a guilty pleasure shouldn't be apprehensive. All in all, this is quality music.