Anyone who has every watched "The O.C." for a reasonable amount of time has wished he or she could be, even just for a minute on a cold December day, in the warm sun of southern California. It could be the image of life in the O.C. that draws people to the extremely popular show. And with the release of the "Mix" album, everyone can get just one step closer to feeling like they are in the carefree, albeit overdramatic, world of "The O.C."There are now four "Mix" albums from "The O.C." Each album showcases some of the best songs played on the show. "The O.C." has become known for featuring and even promoting the music of up and coming bands of many different musical genres. The first season of "The O.C." even filmed an episode focusing on the band Rooney, causing the sales of the up-and-coming band to soar in the following weeks. With an audience of millions of teenagers watching the show every week, every song that appears on the soundtrack is promoted by "The O.C." Most of the time, the songs are recent releases from new bands, or at least bands that do not already have a tremendous following. What results is an interesting collection of albums with a majority of songs that most fans of the show will enjoy. "The O.C. Mix 4" is no exception in the choice of songs featured. While there are a few names and songs that a good deal of people will recognize, the majority of the music comes from lesser-known bands. The overall sound of "The O.C. Mix 4" varies, but the majority of the songs are a bit slow in tempo. There is a generally good mix of fast and slow songs, and all 12 of the songs are great. One of the best songs on the album is a cover of the Oasis classic"Champagne Supernova," performed by Matt Pond PA. The song is terrific, and the cover does it justice. The sound is not as heavy as the Oasis version and sounds much more similar to an acoustic performance than a rock band singing, as was the case with Oasis. Other top songs include, "Eve, The Apple of My Eye" by Bell X1, "Cartwheels" by The Reindeer Section, "On the Table," by A.C. Newman and "Play" by Flunk. The second-tier songs are also great songs, but on this mix even they are a bit overshadowed. They include, "Decent Days and Nights" by The Futureheads, "Goodnight and Go" by Imogen Heap, "Fortress" by Pinback, "To Be Alone With You" by Surfjan Stevens, "Scarecrow" by Beck, "The View" by Modest Mouse and "Hardcore Days and Softcore Nights" by Aqueduct. "The O.C. Mix 4" is an album anyone who has ever wondered what living in the O.C. would sound like must have. The mix of music from original bands and artists is refreshing. The songs are good, the sound is great, and despite the opinions one may have about the show, everyone should give "The O.C. Mix 4" a chance.
