'New Moon' soundtrack leans heavily on established indie bands
By Emily Sitton
Films about vampires and werewolves usually have soundtracks filled with ominous and dark music. While "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is a movie about these mythicadl creatures, its soundtrack takes a different, updated approach to musically narrating the lives of vampires, werewolves and their human friends.
For those who don't know about "The Twilight Saga," here is a brief introduction. "The Twilight Saga" is a series of four books written by Stephenie Meyer. The last book came out in August of 2008. The books follow the relationship of Bella Swan, a human, with Edward Cullen, a vampire. The books were quickly transformed into blockbuster films. The first film, "Twilight," was released last year. The second film, "New Moon," is based on and shares the title of the second book and comes out nationwide Nov. 20.
Here is a quick rundown of the "New Moon" plot. The heroine Bella (Kristen Stewart) and vampire, Edward (Robert Pattinson), are in love. Edward and his vampire clan leave after he realizes that it is too dangerous for Bella, a human, to hang out with vampires. She goes into a deep depression until she starts hanging out with her friend Jacob (Taylor Lautner).
While Bella sees Jacob as just a friend, he sees her as much more and tells her so. Their relationship gets more complicated by the fact that Jacob is a werewolf, but cannot tell Bella. Meanwhile, Bella is still caught up in her memories of and strong feelings for Edward.
The "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" soundtrack, released Oct. 20, captures this plot perfectly. While Alexandre Desplat's piano piece is an ode to Edward and Bella, Lykke Li's "Possibility" captures Jacob's unrequited love for Bella in a slow, melancholic ballad.
The track list for "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" soundtrack reads like a who's who of indie rock. As a lover of the genre, this soundtrack included many of my favorites like Death Cab for Cutie and introduced me to some great newcomers like Swedish sensation Lykke Li.
Producer Alexandra Patsavas' selection of artists skillfully meshes the best of all sounds from the indie rock world. From the self-reflective and emotional-rock sound of Death Cab to the live-garage-band sound of Hurricane Belis to the bluesy Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, it offers a melody for every mood and listener.
"Meet Me on the Equinox," by Death Cab for Cutie, is the high note of the album. In typical Death Cab fashion, the repeated guitar riffs and drum beats draw the listener in for the ride, the lyrics buckle the belt and the vocals send the emotions into overdrive. The instrumentals weave perfectly with the lilting voice of Ben Gibbard as his words caress your ears. The song is eerie and ethereal with lyrics like "as we walk in the dimming light, well, darling, understand that everything, everything ends."
The juxtaposition of Death Cab's melancholic tone and Band of Skulls' upbeat rock tune "Friends" sets the stage for the sound variety on the rest of the soundtrack and gives listeners a taste of the movie's emotional rollercoaster plotline.
A pleasant surprise on the album came in the small form of Anya Marina. Her track "Satellite Heart" expresses haunting sadness with a mix of folksy-tones and airy vocals. With lyrics like, "I'm a satellite heart, lost in the dark. I've spun out so far," her song meshes perfectly with the tangled love triangle of the movie's heroine.
The track "Shooting the Moon," by OK Go was rather disappointing. Wavering between soft singing and heavy bass interludes, the track left me wanting more. It felt like the band was trying too hard to be intense, experimental and introspective and checked the coherence of the track at the door. However, it fit perfectly with the emotional vibe of the film: conflicted.
"Slow Life," by Grizzly Bear and featuring Victoria Legrand, picked up the emotional thread of the soundtrack with great guitar work and otherworldly vocals. Legrand's voice weaved perfectly with the already angelic vocals of the Bears to form a melodic tapestry of tambourine, piano and vocals.
If you like the variety of tracks on the regular soundtrack, the iTunes deluxe version offers even more with three additional tracks and Death Cab's music video. Lupe Fiasco's "Solar Midnite" offers a harder edge. Think the rap stylings of the Gorillaz mixed with the guitar riffing-style of Lenny Kravitz a la "Are You Gonna Go My Way."
Whether you're a fan of the books, films or simply an indie rock addict, like me, there's something for you on this soundtrack. You will find at least one track you can't do without whether you buy the whole album, just a few songs or splurge for the iTunes deluxe version.
