VA - Grey's Anatomy (Original Soundtrack Vol.2) (2006)

This soundtrack to the hit TV series starts off with a melancholy ballad by Denver's the Fray (fittingly titled "How to Save a Life"), but the well-curated CD isn't all thoughtful adult alt-rock--reflecting the series' mood changes, it offers a wide range of modern sounds. In addition to the expected acoustical numbers (in this case, from Anya Marina, KT Tunstall, and Snow Patrol's live version of "Chasing Cars"), the album reaches across genres and continents to offer the sunny-'60s-pop vibe of Jim Noir's "I Me You," Jamie Lidell's electro-jazzy "Multiply," the edgy punky-pop aggro of Metric, the rambunctious "Sexy Mistake" from the Chalets, and the winning singalong misanthropy of singer-songwriter Foy Vance's "I Hate Everyone." Ursula 1000's Alex Gimeno lightens up the proceedings with one of his trademark upbeat, hip-gyrating numbers (which seems to pay tribute to Serge Gainsbourg's "Comic Strip"), while the Moonbabies' sweet, swirling harmonies deliver the kind of perfectly crafted pop we've come to expect from the Swedes. If this compilation turns people on to these deserving acts, it will have done its job. --Elisabeth Vincentelli