Twilight Soundtrack Review

Hey,

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I am a devout Twi-Hard. I have been ever since the first movie came out when I was in 7^th grade and my parents finally relented and let me see it. The last movie just came out and it got me thinking. Even though Twilight can be a rather dividing issue (whether it’s Team Jacob vs. Team Edward or Twi-Hards versus Harry Potter/ Hunger Games fans or people who just flat out hate Twilight). I’m not here to argue my point, but the one thing fans and non-fans have been able to agree on is that the soundtracks have been amazing. So, in celebration, or mourning, depending on your opinion, of Breaking Dawn Part Two, I am going to, for the next several weeks, review all of the movie soundtracks.

                Tonight, I will start with the first soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Twilight.

                1. Supermassive Black Hole by Muse- Oh, Muse. One of my favorite bands of all time! I love the heavy rock guitars at the beginning which give way to Matthew’s ridiculously perfect falsetto and creepy lyrics. It fits so perfectly with the movie, as well as the baseball scene it’s featured in. Amazing.

2. Decode by Paramore- I usually do not like most female vocalists, but Hayley Williams is one of the exceptions. Her voice has so much power and emotion that it’s honestly hard not to like it. My favorite thing about the song is the way it builds. It does not just stay at one tempo or one level; it constantly crescendos until it reaches its very beautiful climax at the chorus. All of the instrumentation melds together nicely and the chorus describes Edward and Bella’s relationship, though someone is probably going to kill me for pointing that out. J

3. Full Moon by The Black Ghosts- that acoustic guitar truly is captivating; I’m a big fan of that. The drum line is simple, yet complex and the soft violins in the background speak volumes, while allowing the haunting vocals to remain front and center.

4. Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park- Chester Bennington may be one of the best lead singers ever. I am not a big Linkin Park fan, but I think Chester’s voice carries so much emotion, switching effortlessly from subdued to angry and so forth. The song itself is mediocre at best, but I like Chester. J

5. Spotlight by Mutemath- Ah, Mutemath. If it weren’t for Twilight, I never would have found this amazing band. Wow. Kind of deep if you don’t think about it. Anyways, I’ve reviewed this song before, but I love Darren’s drumming and Paul’s gorgeous, soaring vocals that many try but fail to replicate. Best song on the album.

6. Go All the way Into the Twilight by Perry Farrell- One of the most random songs on the album. I hate it and love it at the same time. I have no idea what he is talking about—though I think it has something to do with sex—and the female vocals in the background feel unnecessary and childish, yet it’s one of my favorite songs on the CD. It was played during the prom scene, so I guess I will always associate it with that. Maybe that’s why I like it. Regardless, it’s a good song. J

7. Tremble For My Beloved by Collective Soul- Only the instrumental portion was played in the movie, but the rest of the song is pretty good too. I like the steady drumming, very vintage guitar section and the fact that it’s Collective Soul. J

8. I Caught Myself by Paramore- Song numero dos from Paramore, and arguably 10 times better than Decode. Don’t get me wrong; Decode was amazing, but the introduction to this song and the infectious chorus really sold me. Very pretty, which is something I rarely say about Paramore. J

9. Eyes on Fire by Blue foundation- Creepy, creepy, creepy. I think the song is about torturing something but I can’t be sure. The song fits in with the movie, to an extent, but it’s good on its own. Kind of a weird one, but sometimes weird is good. J

10. Never Think by Robert Pattinson- Yes, the dude who played Edward is singing this song. Crazy, right? If I didn’t know it was him, I never would have guessed. Well, it’s certainly different. I’ll give him that much. My guess is he recorded this song while under the influence of something; he has a good voice, but he spends most of the song muttering the lyrics. The guitar part is pretty and when he actually sings, it’s a nice track. Not Mutemath, but not bad.

11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth by Iron and Wine- Yes, the Twilight saga introduced me to the musical mastermind known as Iron and Wine. I do have to credit them for this one too. J I love the tambourine—they’re magical instruments—the accordion, and Sam’s gentle vocals. It could almost be a lullaby, if it weren’t for the second verse when the guitar and other instruments kick in. Almost as amazing as Mute Math’s track, but still a gem.

12. Let Me Sign by Robert Pattinson- Yes, it’s him again. I like this song, but I have to be honest. The first time I head it, I thought it was some sort of tribal birthing song. Then, I realized he was speaking in English and it was Robert. Oops. I love how organic it is but wish he would sing instead of this moaning and groaning thing. Seriously.

13. Bella’s Lullaby by Carter Burwell- One of my favorite tracks (it’s my namesake; how can I not like it?) and easily one of the most memorable. Carter has a true knack for taking a simple theme and creating something unexpected. Stunning.

Well, that’s it for this week. Next week, it’s New Moon time.

Until then,

Bella (Cullen…) J

My Weekly Playlist

Hey,

Before I dive into the music, I wanted to let you know what next week's post will be about. I'm thinking about talking about why I listen to alternative, why I consider myself  a hipster when it comes to music, and what bands/artists I predicted would be big/have a couple of hits.

Okay, this week it's time for another installment of What I've Been Listening To.
In no particular order...

5. The Guy Who by Julian Verlard
I recently discovered this track through a play list on Spotify and disregarded it for a while, but re-found (not really a word, I know) it and am thoroughly in love. I love the chorus--it's so catchy. The lyrics are adorable, very whimsical. The keyboard line is one of my favorites. :) This guy has another CD from 2009 called "Another Guy's Song" where he did cool covers of "Sex on Fire," "Hot N Cold," and many other hits from that year.

4. Whatever Gets You By by The Features
This band has been around for quite some time, but I first heard of them when they were featured (haha that's a good one) on the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn soundtrack (say what you want; I'm a proud Twi-hard). And, IMO, their song was the best--next to Iron and Wine's Flightless Bird, American Mouth--on the soundtrack. Fast forward to this past week, and I was in the car when one of their new singels came on AltNation and I was like, "Whoa, I know this band. Cool." And I got home, looked it up, and discovered this one on accident. Things I like about this song: it has kind of a macabre feeling, the varying types of percussion, and the harmonies. It's a very dark track, but it's good. I love it.

3. Love Song For A Foreign Exchange Student by Magic Punches
I heard this song when I was shopping at Hollister six months ago and have been hooked ever since. I like the strong guitar at the beginning, the airy vocals, and the lyrics detailing how the singer has fallen for a foreign exchange student who does not share the same feelings. Cute. If the lead singer was a girl, the foreign exchange student reminds me a little of Fez from That 70's Show. :)

2. Freedom Hangs Like Heaven by Iron and Wine
Last summer, this was my jam. ;) I'm usually not much of a fan of folk music, but this is one of those rare exceptions. Iron and Wine is one of my favorite artists, and I'm still kicking myself when he came last summer and I said I didn't want to go. ugh. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Anyways, this song deals with very heavy Biblical references, almost like a re-telling of certain passages, has a strong guitar section, and Sam's vocals are equally weighty, but still a bit of whisper. Amazing.

1. Black Heart Inertia by Incubus
I fell hard for this band back in 8th grade. I thought the lead singer was the cutest thing to ever walk the planet--silly girl, I obviously hadn't seen Ian Somerhalder. haha My first song I listened to by them was Drive, as did every other human being who listened to alternative music/went to the movies/watched TV. I like to listen to them when my other music gets boring--it happens--or I need to stay awake during a long school day. This song was featured on The CoolTV, a channel we get because our cable provider updated everything to HD, but it's confusing and not worth explaining, which shows music videos. And I was doing the dishes and stopped because, I was like, "That's Brandon Boyd!" (the lead singer) Sure, enough, it was Incubus--their sound is very distinctive. This song was realsed along with their best of album, back in 2009, as was the music video. It's quite obvious, considering there, Brandon had the best haircut he has ever had, looked sweet in a plaid shirt, and had shaved recently. Now, he, John Mayer, and Jason Mraz are all trying to make the "I'm a hitchhiker/lonely, homeless musician/I've been walking in the desert for three months/I'm too poor for a haircut look. Ugh, it's horrible. Hopefully that fade will pass. Anyways, the SONG! I am rambling so badly today. So, what I like about it: the line "false inertia," Brandon's strong vocals with a touch of beautiful vibrato, the bass line, and the catchy melody. Nicely done, boys.

Until next week,
Bella