Published on Jun 1, 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.
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.]