Four years ago, Starbucks' music division Hear Music issued a hip compilation of love themed cover songs by cutting edge of artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Calexico, Neko Case and M. Ward and titled it Sweetheart 2005. Finally after much clamoring for a sequel, Starbucks has seen fit to grace us with Sweetheart 2009 this Valentines holiday.

Sweetheart 2009 is very much the sister release of its predecessor, with the flavor of artists picked to cover songs very similar to that of the 2005 album. None of the same vocalists have returned for this go around, but if you liked the last batch of musicians Starbucks picked four years ago, you'll be ecstatic about this line up. Neko Case's New Pornograpers band-mate A.C. Newman does a brilliant acoustic take on A-Ha's "Take On Me" and instead of M. Ward going solo again, he instead brings in his She & Him partner Zooey Deschanel to tackle a bare bones version of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins Blues classic "I Put A Spell on You."

Just like the 2005 compilation though, there are a few duds here that keep Sweetheart 2009 from being completely essential. Death Cab For Cutie's take on The Cure's "Love Song" for example is a boring, by the numbers snooze-fest. But there are big surprises here that make Sweetheart 2009 at least worth checking out. Katy "I Kissed a Girl" Perry is the big stunner with her amazing stripped down acoustic take of Sam Sparro's Dance number "Black and Gold" but my personal favorites are "Department of Eagles' almost Brain Wilson-like take on the Elvis Presley classic "Love Me" and Rogue Wave's re-imagined, almost Country-esque take on Yeah Yeah Yeah's early 2000's classic "Maps."
An affable bookend to their other Sweetheart compilation, Sweetheart 2009 can be picked up this month at any Starbucks location and would definitely be a sweet Valentine to anyone who appreciates great cutting edge artists of today tackling great romantic tunes of yesteryear.