Except for the theme song and the vocal gymnastics of Shankar, most people must be shaking their head at the prospect of a Heroes soundtrack. It's not like this is The O.C. or One Tree Hill, where hip, modern music plays a major role on the shows themselves. And when you notice that the soundtrack for Heroes doesn't consist of purely instrumental tracks, you might be thinking that this is just another rip-off compilation CD. Honestly, that was our first instinct - this is just a way for a show's producers to make money while the writers were on strike. We're happy to tell you that the Heroes soundtrack is far from a quickie tie-in and that it's actually one of the more interesting TV soundtracks yet produced.

As explained by producer Allan Arkush in the liner notes, the writers for Heroes are always listening to music as they're creating the show. So, while Wilco and Death Cab For Cutie might not be playing in a specific episode, they're just a couple of the bands that you'd hear behind-the-scenes. Listening to the Heroes soundtrack is like listening in on part of the creative process behind Heroes. It might sound crazy, but all of the bands featured on Heroes: The Soundtrack sound like they fit the creative mindset of the show. You won't find a Miley Cyrus single to make some cash. Instead, you'll find classic tracks by David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and new songs by a diverse array of alternative artists, all of which you can believe Peter Petrelli has in his iPod Shuffle.

The soundtrack can be broken down into three sections, although all of them co-mingle in the actual track listing. Wendy & Lisa, the pair behind the theme song and the 30 or so minutes of instrumental music in the show a week are well-represented with four tracks - "Heroes Title," "Fire and Regeneration," "Natural Selection," and "Homecoming." There are also four previously available tracks including "All For Swinging Around" by The New Pornographers, "ABoneCroneDrone3" by Sheila Chandra, "Man in the Long Black Coat" by Bob Dylan, and "Heroes" by David Bowie. Of course, the Dylan and Bowie tracks are classics that any good music fan should already own, but it's great to think they'll be introduced to a younger demographic who might not be familiar with them.

Heroes: The Soundtrack features ten new tracks - "He's Frank" by Brighton Port Authority featuring Iggy Pop, "Glad It's Over" by Wilco, "Weightless" by Nada Surf, "Nine in the Afternoon" by Panic! At the Disco, "Chills" by My Morning Jacket, "Not Now But Soon" by Imogen Heap, "Jealousy Rides With Me" by Death Cab For Cutie, "All Things Must Pass" by The Jesus and Mary Chain, "Maya's Theme" by Yerba Buena, and "Keeping My Compusure" by The Chemical Brothers featuring Spank Rock.

Practically all the tracks are better than the B-side offerings usually found on compilation CDs. The "biggest" bands - Wilco and Death Cab For Cutie - actually seem to offer the most obviously cut-from-other-material tracks. Both of their songs would be the worst on their recent releases, even if bad Wilco and bad Death Cab is still better than the best from most other bands. And Jesus and Mary Chain fans should already be headed to Best Buy (who have an exclusive sales contract for the Heroes Soundtrack). This is the first new track from JAMC in over a decade. Once again, it's not going to be included on a Mary Chain "best-of" but it's just nice to have this great band back and making music. As for the other tracks, the Brighton Port Authority song is very good (Iggy Pop still rules) and both My Morning Jacket and Imogen Heap should find some more fans through their offerings here.

Shelli Hill, Vice President of NBC Universal Television DVD, Music & Consumer Products calls the Heroes Soundtrack "another way to connect with the show they love." Surprisingly, it's not a pitch. After listening to the soundtrack a few times and checking out the very cool Isaac-inspired artwork inside, it will almost make a fan miss their favorite show even more. You could do a lot worse than Dylan, Bowie, Pop, and Wilco to tide you over until the fall.