Second ‘Glee’ cast recording brings pop and showtune joy

Cast of “Glee”

Glee: The Music, Vol. 2

Columbia

Rocks Like: A Kidz Bop/High School… Cast of “Glee”

Glee: The Music, Vol. 2

Columbia

Rocks Like: A Kidz Bop/High School Musical Mash-Up

Grade: B+

As the Fox smash hit, “Glee,” begins its four-month hiatus to make room for “American Idol,” fans will have to do with the spirited soundtrack to get their fix.

“Gleeks” of all levels of fanaticism will find solace in this eclectic mix of Pop, R&B and Broadway standards. Hits made famous by John Lennon, Lily Allen, Van Halen and The Rolling Stones, among others, have been rerecorded and reinvigorated by the young and able cast of relative unknowns.

The songs have been creatively integrated into the story of rural Ohio high school glee club members as they simultaneously try to navigate the mine fields of high school life and become formidable contenders for their town’s sectional show choir competition. They are led and counseled by the passionate Mr. Will Schuester, played by Golden Globe nominee Matthew Morrison, who joins in on the fun by lending his smooth voice to two tracks on the disk.

When the whole cast unites for songs like “My Life Would Suck Without You,” the true spirit of community that resonates in “Glee” shines the brightest.

The show is not without individual standouts, though. One huge example of this is Golden Globe nominee Lea Michele’s goosebump-inducing rendition of the Barbara Streisand staple “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

Until April, “Glee” enthusiasts will only have Simon Cowell’s personal brand of musical entertainment to look forward to on Wednesday nights. One song on the CD will prove to be the voice of the show’s fan base in these sad months as it tells the universal truth, “You can’t always get what you want.”