Friday Night Lights, Vol. 2

Liner Note Author: Jason Katims.
Recording information: Electromagnetic Radiation Recorders.
Photographers: Van Redin; Virginia Sherwood; Dean Hendler.
Focusing on the music used in the show's fourth season, the second volume of the Friday Night Lights soundtrack captures all of the drama and emotion that unfold in the sleepy town of Dillon, TX. More than just a collection of the incidental music used on the show, it seems like care was taken in assembling a collection of music from the series' more emotional moments, giving the soundtrack a feeling closer to a mixtape than a franchise cash grab. The collection of plaintive, country-infused tracks features artists like Sufjan Stevens, John Doe, Augustana, and Fink lending their hands in the creation of songs that are as earnest as the characters whose lives they score, acting as a kind of pastoral mood music. Also contained on the album is the sprawling "FNL Main Title" by Emmy-winning television heavyweight W.G. Snuffy Walden (who also composed the themes for The West Wing, Thirtysomething, and My So-Called Life). While this album may be the most appealing to fans of the show looking to relive their favorite moments from the series, what's surprising is how cohesive the collection feels, making this one of those rare soundtracks that has the ability to find legs with people unfamiliar with the show. ~ Gregory Heaney