Summary:
I like both the Twilight and New Moon soundtracks, but I slightly prefer listening to the New Moon soundtrack. My favorite track from either soundtrack, by far, is Alexandre Desplat's beautiful composition entitled, "New Moon (The Meadow)".
Note: The following review of both soundtracks is fairly lengthy. Click on "Read more" to see the rest of it!
Twilight Soundtrack Review:
First, the Twilight soundtrack. I bought this soundtrack after I saw the movie, so I already knew I liked the music, and knew where it would all fit into the movie. I quickly discoved that the soundtrack sounded much better in my car than in my living room (where the songs sounded slightly fuzzy and distorted). Also, I noticed that I grew tired of some of the songs on this soundtrack fairly quickly.
The first track, "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse, was a great, upbeat song to start with. This was the perfect blend of raw, driving energy and "coolness" to accompany the vampire baseball scene in the movie. This song always got my kids up and dancing in the living room.
The second track, "Decode" by Paramore, was a perfect credits song. It was like a goth romance anthem, full of angst and conflict.
The third track, "Full Moon" by The Black Ghosts, set the dark (but hip) mood of the movie.
The fourth track, "Leave Out all the Rest" by Linkin Park, was another angsty song, but it left me kind of "meh." I'm not sure how it related to the movie...
The fifth track, "Spotlight (Twilight Mix)" by Mutemath, was very repetitive and almost angry. A little of this song went a very long way.
The sixth track, "Go all the Way (Into the Twilight)" by Perry Farrell, might have been Bella's prom music, but it got annoying, quickly. Less was better.
The seventh track, "Tremble for My Beloved" by Collective Soul, was just okay. I liked the moody guitar bit at the beginning the best.
The eighth track, "I Caught Myself" by Paramore, sounded very similar, but even more angry/angsty than "Decode". I didn't like this song.
The ninth track, "Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation, was kind of dark and eerie.
The tenth track, "Never Think" by Rob Pattinson, was a welcome respite from all the angst. Heart-felt, bluesy, and very sensual. A real love song. I liked it a lot. More Rob, please.
The eleventh track, "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" (what?) by Iron & Wine, was the perfect romantic slow-dance song for Bella and Edward. It almost made me cry to listen to it.
The final track, "Bella's Lullaby" by Carter Burwell, was sort of controversial for me. On its own, it's a beautiful mood piece. It's bittersweet with a hint of tension, weaving together two complex melodies. It's perfect for the scene when Edward introduces Bella to his world. My problem is, this song is not Bella's Lullaby from the book. In fact, Carter Burwell had originally written this song years ago, as a love song to the woman who broke his heart, but would eventually become his wife. It worked nicely with the scene in the movie, but it was definitely not a soothing lullaby.
(For more information about how Carter Burwell wrote this song for Twilight, check out his website here.)
New Moon Soundtrack Review:
After listening to the Twilight soundtrack, I expected more of the same for New Moon. I was pleasantly surprised by the differences. So far, I haven't gotten tired of listening to any of the songs on this soundtrack.
The first track, "Meet Me on the Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie, was a nice way to introduce the theme of the movie. Very catchy tune. Too bad it wasn't played until the very end of the credits in the movie.
The second track, "Friends" by Band of Skulls, sounded like a bunch of teenagers trying to sound tough and cool. I imagined the wolf pack hanging out together when I first heard this.
The third track, "Hearing Damage" by Thom Yorke, is normally way too electronic for my liking, but the music did a great job in the movie of ratcheting up the tension and driving the various plot lines forward.
The fourth track, "Possibility" by Lykke Li, was sweet and melancholy. After I saw the movie, I appreciated this song a lot more.
The fifth track, "A White Demon Love Song" by The Killers, was eerie and depressing.
The sixth track, "Satellite Heart" by Anya Marina, was yet another soft but sad love song.
The seventh track, "I Belong to You (New Moon Remix)" by Muse, was a bit more upbeat, but still angsty.
The eighth track, "Roslyn" by Bon Iver & St. Vincent, was strange, ethereal, sad, and a bit repetitive.
The ninth track, "Done All Wrong" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, was folksy, dark, and foreboding.
The tenth track, "Monsters" by Hurricane Bells, was definitely cool and upbeat, especially during Edward's entrance in the movie. Very catchy. It made me smile.
The eleventh track, "The Violet Hour" by Sea Wolf, was strange at the beginning, but the song grew on me. Kinda catchy.
The twelfth track, "Shooting the Moon" by OK Go, was okay. A strange, not-quite-upbeat song during Bella and Jacob's scene.
The thirteenth track, "Slow Life" by Grizzly Bear (with Victoria LeGrand), was a haunting, emo break-up song that fit beautifully into the scene in the movie.
The fourteenth track, "No Sound But the Wind" by the Editors, was another haunting, sad love song. I loved the piano in this one. This song reminded me of Edward.
The fifteenth track, "New Moon (The Meadow)" by Alexandre Desplat, gave me chills every time I heard it. Now THIS is the love song for Bella and Edward! Full of bittersweet longing and desire. I looked forward to watching the beginning of New Moon over and over again, just to hear this beautiful song.
Aside: The one thing I really missed from the New Moon soundtrack was a Rob Pattinson song. I really hope the upcoming Eclipse soundtrack will include more music from him.
So that's my review of the two soundtracks. Did you agree or disagree with my favorites? Which soundtrack do you prefer?
Boy I disagree! New Moon was depressing. Except for Friends I do like that one. Twilight's was fun and upbeat. I can (and do) listen to it all the time and never get tired of it. New Moon I can only listen to it once in a while. Muse and Paramore kick it!!!
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