Like the series that inspired it, Grey's Anatomy Soundtrack Vol. 3 ebbs and flows with songs that are sweet, quirky and heart-stirring. At its centerpiece is new and exclusive music from acclaimed singer-songwriter Mat Kearney, Grammy winner John Legend and the inimitable Gomez. The album's tracks, many of which can be heard during key emotional scenes over the course of the series, were chosen by the show's creator and executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, and executive producer Betsy Beers from a large pool of artists introduced to them by music supervisor Alex Patsavas. Among the record's many highlights are Legend's spare and compelling "Sun Comes Up," Gomez's moving "Moon And Sun," and poignant compositions from Grace Potter & The Nocturnals ("Falling Or Flying"), Paolo Nutini ("Million Faces") and Brandi Carlile ("The Story").It's hard to find a more upbeat way to start an album, any album, than Peter, Bjorn & John's "Young Folks." One of the most infectious indie-pop songs of the past few years, "Young Folks" plays off the sweet guest vocals of former Concretes Victoria Bergsman to rocket up into feel-good stratosphere. The rest of this collection does not quite reach these dizzy heights, dragged back down to earth by the ballads that pretty much make up the second half. Still, no wonder Grey's Anatomy soundtracks do so well: They tend to focus on melodic, accessible music of the indie persuasion, but they are also cannily curated, mixing emerging artists with more established (but not necessarily marquee) names. The third Grey's volume boasts a trio of new tracks by Mat Kearney, Gomez, and John Legend, but they're oddly sappy (Legend fares better than the other two). Among the acts who might well benefit from the exposure are Koop and "Come to Me," a fantastically bouncy electronica-swing tune (an odd mix, but it works); Bill Ricchini and his lovely "A Cold Wind Will Blow Through Your Door," a testament to its author's ability to update classic pop-troubadour sounds of the '60s and '70s; and Jesus Jackson's "Running on Sunshine", because why walk on sunshine when you can run on it? --Elisabeth Vincentelli
