Amazon.comBenefit albums often have the twofold advantage of supporting a worthy cause and offering up songs that can't be found elsewhere. Because We Care delivers on both fronts. This scrupulously assembled album's songs mesh well while maintaining distinctive flavors. Though the artists all boast a Southern California sound, they also have a fresh fervor that comes through strongly, even on Thrice's cover of "Eleanor Rigby" and Gameface's rendition of "Doctor My Eyes." This youthful freshness differentiates Because We Care from many big-name benefit albums; instead of detached benevolence presented by long-established bands, the album has a continuity and childlike energy that makes one imagine the entire set was recorded live in the lobby of the Children's Hospital of Orange County. --Mark Huntsman