Scrubs Original Soundtrack, Vol. 2

Various Artists

Hollywood Records, 2006

REVIEW BY: Jeff Clutterbuck

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 06/01/2006

Matthew Turk expressed the sentiment in his review of Vol. 1 that Scrubs "uses music far better than any of its peers." Three years later, this statement still holds true -- and, three years later, the show is still underrated and one of TV's best comedies, far better than the other garbage the networks force upon the public.

Narrowing down the tracks for this collection must have been difficult, since the five seasons of Scrubs have featured many great songs. Vol. 2 derives most of its music from the past couple of years, featuring a bevy of little-known indie artists, and this often works in favor for the show, showcasing great songs suited to the moment instead of clichéd songs that everyone uses.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Things get off to a rollicking start with "I Want To Know" by the Mavericks, an uptempo classic rock tune with a hint of country. The chorus has been stuck in my head for days now. The rest of the up-tempo numbers were also great choices, such as the Coral's "Dreaming Of You," which reminds me a great deal of other current bands such as Franz Ferdinand.

Also, "Section 9 (Light & Day/ Reach For The Sun)" captures the psychedelic music of the 60s perfectly; I just might have to check out more from the Polyphonic Spree. Martin Sexton's rockabilly "Diner" looks even further back for inspiration; this could have come straight out of the 50s.

Some of the songs on Vol. 2 are great in their own right, but when coupled with images from the show are even better. Take Joshua Radin's "Winter," a slow mournful acoustic ballad that stands on its own two legs. Watch the episode "My Screwup," and I guarantee you will never forget the song. The same goes for the similarly themed "Sideways."

Vol. 2 happens to be slightly more eccentric than its predecessor, which is a good thing. Neither album strays too far beyond the adult contemporary genre, but there are the aforementioned gems that keep things from playing out too straight, like "Half" by G Tom Mac. This track plays pretty straightforward but contains stunning string arrangements a la ELO. Colin Hay makes yet another appearance, and while the acoustic "My Brilliant Feat" does not equal "Overkill," from Vol 1., it is much better than the other Hay number "Beautiful World."

Although my personal experiences with the show were impossible to avoid, the fact remains that these songs are just flat out good, Scrubs fan or not.

[Editor's note: Scrubs Vol. 2 is not available in stores -- only via download from iTunes.
For more information, check out the MySpace page devoted to this disc, or go straight to its iTunes link.]

Rating: A-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 2006 Jeff Clutterbuck and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Hollywood Records, and is used for informational purposes only.