Notes & Personnel Info |  | Original Soundtrack/Original TV Soundtrack/Various Artists: Dido, Liz Phair, Sarah Brightman, Sarah McLachlan, Shivaree, Ashlee Simpson, The Donnas, Vanessa Carlton, Zero 7, Missy Higgins, Butterfly Boucher. | | While it isn't much more tied into the action on the show than the first Charmed soundtrack was, Charmed: The Book of Shadows streamlines its approach, focusing on female artists both loud and gentle rather than the willy-nilly, grab-bag feel that Charmed too often had. Though the soundtrack boasts more than a few well-known names, like Sarah McLachlan, Vanessa Carlton, Dido, the Donnas, and Liz Phair, several of the collection's highlights belong to some of the slightly under-the-radar artists. Missy Higgins' "Unbroken" is a piece of whimsical singer/songwriter pop that sounds (pleasantly) like Fiona Apple-lite, while Butterfly Boucher's "I Can't Make Me" treads similarly breezy, alternative singer/songwriter territory. Meanwhile, Shivaree's "I Close My Eyes" has a twangy, sexy undercurrent that sets it apart from the album's sometimes too ethereal feel. A few forays into a dance-oriented sound (David Garcia and High Spies' remix of "Pieces of Me," the Swiss American Federation Club Mix of Sarah Brightman's "Free") aren't entirely successful, but they add a little diversity to the soundtrack without making it sound too scattered. In fact, Charmed: The Book of Shadows plays a lot more like a handmade mixtape or playlist than a soundtrack full of promotional opportunities, which can only be to its credit. ~ Heather Phares |
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