Orange County, the county, is nondescript. It’s somewhere you pass through on your way to somewhere more exciting. Often pleasant, but not much to challenge or offend you. There are interesting things to do there, but most of them stay buried amid the Disney Empire. Orange County, the soundtrack, is similar.

This CD is what might happen if The Wherehouse merged with Baskin-Robbins. Picture a bright, cream-colored store with smiling teenaged employees armed with little pink plastic headphones, eagerly dishing out bite-sized portions of pleasant “modern rock.” Some are tasty and remain satisfying after a couple of samples, and some are disgustingly sweet with no nutritional value.

Thankfully, tracks like Lit’s “Everything’s Cool” are balanced out with the Foo Fighters’ earnest “The One.” With a great live performance of “Story of My Life,” Social Distortion redeems The Offspring’s misguided attempt at homage to Staind. Quarashi’s “Stick ‘Em Up” is not as amusing; it smacks of the Beastie Boys rapping to Cypress Hill beats. Brian Wilson reminds us that beach music existed before surf-punk with two tranquil songs.

Some of the bands on the album are from OC, and of these, most are the easily ignored sunny drivel to which I have been referring. The thoughtful, more inspired highlights only serve to illuminate what you’re missing out on if you hang around the boring parts for too long.