Six Feet Under: Everything Ends:

Music From the HBO Original Series Volume Two

(Astralwerks)

Death. What does it mean to you? Are you afraid of it? Do you secretly wait for it? Do you wish it on your worst enemies? These are complicated questions to be sure, and just the type of material that HBO’s Six Feet Under addresses. The series, which follows the morturary-running Fisher family and their relationships, just ended its run with a stunning fifth and final season that made up for the lackluster third and forth seasons and to celebrate, Astralwerks has assembled a nifty going-away present to help assist you on your way to the great abyss.

Everything Ends celebrates the great musical taste that has always been a staple of the show. The collection kicks off with Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” the song used to promote season four, and filled with so much life that it could raise the dead from their graves. Jem’s “Amazing Life” is a Dido clone with its downtempo-pop, torch song appeal, but the dreamy sound contained within is a trademark of some of Six Feet’s best moments. Phoenix and Coldplay follow with album cuts “Everything Is Everything” and “A Rush of Blood to the Head,” followed by Sia’s breathtaking, epic “Breathe Me.” “Breathe Me” was used to promote the last season, and will hopefully expose Sia to those who missed her underappreciated second album Colour the Small One.

Radiohead’s “Lucky” should be familiar to everyone by now, but its near-death sentiment fits nicely here, as does Irma Thomas’ “Time Is on My Side”—the song was made famous by The Rolling Stones, but the Soul Queen of New Orleans version is dynamite. Bebel Gilberto gets remixed by the Latin Project, who interject a little more funk into an already lovely “Aganju’.” Next up is the new Interpol song “Direction,” a track with hardly any vocals, written specifically for SFU; it’s more of a tonal piece than an actual song. Its sinister vibe is a welcome addition. The Caesars’ version of Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is faithful to a fault, but what can you expect when the original is perfection?

Death Cab for Cutie appear with “Transatlanticism” from their album of the same name, and force the tears from your eyes with an epic ode on longing. Perhaps the most buzzed-about band on the disc is Arcade Fire, who make a triumphant appearance with “Cold Wind,” which, like the Interpol track, was written exclusively for the show; the song proves to be one of their briefest and most beautiful songs to date. The extended Fisher family has experienced life and death in their last season, and they are all represented here in one way or another. This album proves essential for SFU fans (even if you already own half of the songs) and might turn new listeners on to some of today’s most interesting bands.

www.astralwerks.com

www.hbo.com/sixfeetunder

8 Blips out of 10

By Nick Hyman

8/2005