Glee - Glee (The Music - Season 4, Vol. 1/Original Soundtrack) (Music CD)

Collecting songs from the first half of Glee's fourth season, this set makes some strides toward countering the notion that the series is a showcase for Top 40 hits re-recorded by the Glee cast. Yes, there are plenty of covers of chart-topping singles here, most notably versions of fun.'s "Some Nights" and PSY's "Gangnam Style"; even with Jenna Ushkowitz singing lead on it, it shows that Glee can't out-crazy the original. However, Glee: The Music - Season 4, Vol. 1 features more deep-catalog choices than some of the show's other soundtracks, including versions of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero," David Bowie's "Heroes," and Coldplay's "The Scientist," all of which add more interest to the collection. This is also the first of the soundtracks to feature the show's new cast members, with Melissa Benoist making the strongest impression as new girl Marley on her audition song, Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind." While this isn't the strongest collection of Glee music, its mix of the fresh and the familiar suggests that New Directions might live up to their name. ~ Heather Phares