Music From the O.C. Mix 1
Just like the Fox TV show it's taken from,Music from the O.C.: Mix 1is studded with moments of subtle exceptionality until the end, when things get really good. Hard as it is to discount the haunting beauty ofJoseph Arthur's "Honey and the Moon," the crispness ofSpoon's spunky, handclap- and piano-spiked "The Way We Get By," and the hushed cool ofJem's bouncy "It's Just a Ride," this CD heats to its steamiest in the final four tracks. TheDandy Warholscut through the Beatlesque rapture brought on by the 88s' "How Good it Can Be" with the snarky, self-conscious pop of "We Used to Be Friends";William OrbithelpsFinley Quayefree himself from the feel-good constraints of reggae on the dark, obsession-themed "Dice";Alexi Murdochdrags the mood down farther still with the sung poetry of "Orange Sky"; andPhantom Planetends things on a satisfying but quizzically simple note with "California," the show's theme song. WhetherThe O.C.'starget audience--teenagers--matches the disc's may be beside the point: BecauseMix 1is enhanced with scenes from the show, computer-equipped diehards who prefer their pop fluffier, with less indie attitude, will dig the vibe despite themselves.-Tammy La Gorce