Music From the O.C.— Mix 5

Now in it’s 5th incarnation, this soundtrack from FOX’s show, The O.C., offers up a collection of tracks featured in the Thursday night soap. For the most part, this is a great album. Never mind if you hate the show—these tunes rock! Many of the indie/alt-rock/pop tracks revisit what was actually good about the early ’80s: the underground sound. Favorites include Kasabian’s rockin’ “Reason is Treason,” Youth Group’s cover of Alphaville’s “Forever Young,” Of Montreal’s “Requiem for O.M.M.” with just a hint of Human League stashed in the vocals, and the Gorillaz’ thumping “Kids with Guns.” The only downer is Phantom Planet’s version of the theme song, “California 2005,” which brings on a Pavlovian feeling of guilty pleasure—“Is the O.C. on?”—then a slight blush of shame, followed by, “Wow, this song really sucks, doesn’t it?” Even if you don’t watch the show, it’s worth a spin. Find out what the kids are listening to, only to realize it’s nearly exactly what you were listening to 20 years ago.