'Sex and the City' soundtrack rubs the right way

Like the TV series (and apparently the movie) that spawned it, the "Sex and the City Soundtrack" (New Line, C+) has a tender heart beneath all the consumerism and frivolity, but it requires some digging.

Fergie's crass single "Labels or Love," with its bargain-basement beats and ridiculous lyrics ("Prada dresses never broke my heart before") doesn't exactly raise expectations. But there is plenty here to search for.

Jennifer Hudson's "All Dressed in Love" is everything that "Labels or Love" isn't. The Motown-tinged pop suits her big voice well and the song - like Hudson's character in the movie - keeps things lighthearted and upbeat.

India.Arie's simple, restrained version of Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter" lets her gorgeous vocals shine and gathers strength as the song builds, providing a welcome surprise.

The best interpretations, though, are the reworkings of Bee Gees' classics. Al Green and Joss Stone's epic, seven-minute take on "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is stirring and vulnerable, with Green sounding truly wounded while Stone soothingly coos.

The Bird and the Bee's version of "How Deep Is Your Love" is practically the opposite - an airy, subtle reading that nearly floats away on the ethereal music-box synths.

That said, the "Sex and the City" disc has its share of experiments that don't quite work. The dance remix of Nina Simone's "The Look of Love" is nearly unrecognizable, and Morningwood's rocked-up "New York Girls" doesn't quite fit in. But the heart of this soundtrack is in the right place and, as the show has proved, that makes up for a lot of shortcomings. *