Acoustic [V2 Records]

V2 Records' impressive roster helps to fill out this two-disc set of mellow songs from Radiohead, Dido, Badly Drawn Boy, and Coldplay, as well as some well-known acoustic performances from Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, John Martyn, and Simon & Garfunkel. Unlike some sort of massive "Unplugged" session, the compilation acts more like an introduction to acoustic music at the turn of the 21st century, with a handful of classic low-key favorites thrown in here and there. Almost all of the tracks have appeared as album tracks, B-sides, soundtrack selections, on-air performances, or live cuts somewhere else, but that doesn't change the sheer enjoyment of hearing alternate versions of songs that may be all-too familiar in their electric versions. As Radiohead drifts further and further out into electronic experimentation, their stripped-down "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (originally released on The Bends) is all the more intriguing, and Stereophonics' live roll through the Rod Stewart classic "H