The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack Review!
Have you pre-ordered the New Moon soundtrack on iTunes or at the store? Well it was released yesterday, October 16th, so check it out and listen!
Let us first realize that this movie is much darker than Twilight, but because of Stephenie Meyer's infatuation with music, it should still be different, and should catch your attention when you first press play. This soundtrack should also make you dedicate a separate playlist on your iTunes and press the repeat button as you mark everything with at least 4 stars.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves! While I adore these artists, I do have my criticisms and a few favorites as well. :)
My favorites (in no order):
Satellite Heart - Anya Marina (Track 7)
I love this track so much that I am teaching myself the plucking on guitar as soon as it was released. I think it was a brilliant piece to release first before the drooling/foaming-at-the-mouth Twifans out there. This has two connections to the Twi-Saga. You can connect this to Bella, who is distraught after Edward leaves her, but you can also connect it to Jacob.
The line, "I'll be true to you, no matter what you do," reminds me of Jacob in the third full trailer where Jacob begs Bella to stay with him. "What's the matter with your man?" is also another line that connects this song more to Jacob. He just wants her to simply get over Edward and see him as the better choice, which she knows. Perhaps it's because I was distraught and a real Team Jacob in that I didn't want his heart broken over and over throughout the series.
A White Demon Love Song - The Killers (Track 6)
I mean, come on! It's The Killers! How could this not be my favorite track? The simple beginning of guitar and a dream sequence like state that you're in when you press play captures me. The simple piano that reminds me of Finding Neverland in it's haze makes this my favorite song. I am a huge fan of The Killers and this mellow song truly matches the tone that New Moon is supposed to have.
I kind of want this song to play at my senior prom... I would definitely slow dance to this song. :)
Possibility - Lykke LI (Track 5)
I love this band. The simple bass piano keeping the tempo and the voice that is accompanied by a chorus with 'mm's adding more depth make this song memorable. There is a sound added in the background that still adds and edge to this song. It's an echo of voices as if the voices are singing in a hollow room, keeping that same haze and disorientation throughout the soundtrack.
Monsters- Hurricane Bells (Track 11)
This is a rocking song! I love it. It is probably in my top three favorite out of the whole soundtrack. I am thinking this is probably going to be when Bella goes to visit Jacob at his house to appease Charlie. "Wait, okay... you've gotta look before you go... you're wasting away..." Doesn't that sound appropriate for the Jacob/Bella beginning?
Anyway, you'll be tapping your foot, dancing around, or grinning at this song by the time you get to it in the soundtrack. I am so excited to see where this music is going to be placed in the movie. :)
the one we've all been waiting for...
I Belong To You (New Moon Remix) - Muse (Track 8)
I am obsessed with this song. This is probably my all time favorite. It's a good halfway point. After all the mellow songs, you get to this and with the clapping and grooving beat you can just jam like everyone did with Supermassive Black Hole last year. The lyrics still make this song appropriate for New Moon. "And she attacks me like a leo..." Just sit back and breathe through this track. It's so relaxing to have such an upbeat and fun song to break up this moody emo soundtrack.
I also love the clarinet solo halfway through. A little riff to keep you interest and to add to this remix. Any Muse fan will love this track. I hope this song will appear in a Bella/Jake friendship montage of some sort.
Other songs...
Roslyn - Bon Iver & St. Vincent (Track 9)
It's an odd transition, but keeps you awake knowing that this movie is tragic and has a much more mellow tone than it's first had. This just keeps to the tone and I adore the acoustic in the background along with the southen twang of it when the banjo is introduced toward the end.
Done All Wrong - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Track 10)
Like Satellite Heart, this had the same kind of plucking pattern. (I LOVE THE HARMONICA! :]) I think the mellowness still sticks and pertains to the movie. I try and picture where I see this in the movie and I can think of a few spots. Either Bella in a school scene without Edward or after Edward leaves and she's in that zombie state.
The Violet Hour - Sea Wolf (Track 12)
A nice upbeat change that is continuous between track 11 and 12. It's a nice change as if Bella is perking up and life isn't so bad anymore. I feel like the mellow sad songs are connected with night and her nightmares of Edward while the daytime depicts her happiness and less of a struggle with Jacob. This is probably with another Jacob/Bella scene either a montage or working on bikes? Or maybe when Bella is driving to his house after a few days of seeing him continuously. I cannot wait. :)
Shooting the Moon - Ok Go (Track 13)
Good transition to change back to a mellow guitar acoustic. There is a synthesized harmony that still keeps almost a futuristic-like feel. Then with a flute and clarinet duo, tambourine, bass drum, and mellow vocal harmony, you will want to close your eyes and just picture how this will work in the movie. By this time you're saying to you're saying to yourself, "there are too many mellow songs!" At around 2:30, a violent burst of guitar shredding and the mellow crap is all gone. Here comes the nightmares again...
Slow Life (With Victoria Legend) - Grizzly Bear (Track 14)
The band name is appropriate isn't it? Simple beat, simple background beginning, simple female voice and then they add a high top on a drum set (cymbals). Drum set, piano, echoing melted voice, and guitar coming in for the chorus only briefly and is replaced by the simple beginning with just a few harmonized oo's added for depth and growth. It has the elements of both night and day for Bella. (Melted meaning almost Rob Pattinson-like where it is hard to comprehend unless you strain and really try.) Overall, another decent track. I don't hate it.
No Sound But The Wind - Editors (Track 15)
I LOVE EDITORS. :) Simple piano chord beginning and a single male bass voice begin. I think this song will be when everyone looks for Bella in the woods and Sam finds her. "Help me to carry the fight..." this is a post-papercut song definitely. It's one of the more lyrical pieces rather than catching your interest with the new sounds and instruments you hear. Overall another great song for this solemn movie!
Solar Midnite (Bonus Track) - Lupe Fiasco (Track 17)
I think this song will be played in the credits. I don't know if Twilight was so low budget or that Radiohead's song was added last minute and that was why they weren't on the soundtrack, but I am glad that the credit music came into this soundtrack. This is definitely a credit song. I can picture myself watching the pictures of all the cast members popping up on the screen, finding my garbage on the floor, the lights coming up in the theatre, all the Twifans gabbing about how hot Rob Pattinson looked or making points to what was different than the book as I think about when I'll go again. There's no use in betting against me. This is the credit song and it's jammin'. :)
All I Believe In (Bonus Track) - The Magic Numbers & Amaduo &Mariam (Track 18)
I love the Magic Numbers! :) Stephenie Meyer put their song Love Me Like You on her Eclipse playlist on her website. :) I think this will be another credit song after Track 17 ends. Track 17 will have the pictures of east cast member and this song will play when everyone is struggling to see if they misspelled Emmett again. (Last movie they spelled Emmett as Emmet. Don't believe me? Check it out.) I like the different language used halfway through matching the English version and how they go back and forth. Overall, I'm excited that The Magic Numbers made it on a Twilight-related soundtrack since Stephenie Meyer does listen to them.
I didn't like...
Hearing Damage - Thom Yorke (Track 4)
I felt the song to be too repeitive and wonder if it will be used in the credits or cut down to a minor track because I am not sure how it will work in the movie.
Other Goodies...
New Moon (The Meadow) - Alexandre Desplat (Track 16)
BEAUTIFUL! Reminded me of Harry Potter and Secret Garden put together. Harry Potter in that winter sequence where he sends Hedwig off to give a letter to Sirius. Secret Garden where she had followed the bird to the door of the garden. It's sad and complicated and reminiscence, making you think of Bella and Edward, of what they're been, how Bella must feel, and how torn she is. I am ecstatic they put instrumental pieces in here. Such a great goodie to add to this soundtrack. It is exquisite and left me speechless. It is almost as if Bella is trying to erase this from her memory, but he is always there haunting her. He won't leave her be and she is desperate to feel something again rather than be so numb, but the end give a light, or some sort of hope. This is by far my favorite track. It makes my heart ache and chest heave. For those who were huge fans of Carter Burwell, listen to this track and let me know if you like this better than his one sided compositions.
Die Fledermaus - Duettino: Ach, Ich Darf Nicht Hin Zu Dir (Bonus Track) - APM Orchestra
This is for Italy, guys. Relax! There is no opera. This is either a song that is playing on the radio while Alice is driving Bella to Volterra or this is some kind of background music in the square. Maybe they're listening to this song in the Volturi lair or this is a flashback thing. Who knows, but it's only 1:09 and you're fine. Skip it if you want, those of you who don't like opera.
Wandrers Nachtlied II, Op. 96, No. 3, D. 768 (Bonus Track) - Ulf Bästlein
Another opera piece that I know most of you won't like. It is in Italian, it is opera, and it is not Rob Pattinson. You don't like it. I know, I know, but relax. It think this would either be a good song to have playing on the plane ride home (if they filmed that) or as Alice, Edward, and Bella leave the room from the Volturi and they're safe.
Over all this soundtrack is awesome. If you ordered the soundtrack on iTunes is comes with a free catalogue of what the front and inside covers look like of the soundtrack as well as the Meet Me On the Equinox Music Video! :) Also, I hear that if you buy the soundtrack at the store it comes with a poster of the Cullens on the inside of the insert booklet. So either way you get this soundtrack you get a bonus.
So who's excited?
Check out her blog post: www.stepheniemeyer.com 
Posts
