Review: "New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"

I'm not really a "Twihard", but I've read the first two Twilight books, saw the first film and bought the soundtrack. Also, I drool a little over R.Pattz, but what self-respecting gay man doesn't? I do want to see New Moon, and I thought I should check out the soundtrack.

Looking over the artists who contributed all-new material and mixes, it seems a lot more indie-rock than the more emo-slathered soundtrack from Twilight. Should be totally too cool for school, right? The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie, Lykke Li, St Vincent, Grizzly Bear - all have gotten heavy plays at Pics & Convos headquarters and much love in the year-end lists. I should be kvelling.

But I'm not. I'm guessing the producers were going for atmospheric heartbreak, but the sameness from track to track is sleep-inducing. I had to check the tracklist constantly to see which song I was listening to, unless they featured the distinctive vocals of Lykke Li or The Killers' Brandon Flowers. The slow, plodding pace of the songs don't exactly give me high hopes for the film, making this album fail as a marketing piece as well as a musical statement.

This doesn't mean none of the songs are good. Anya Marina's "Satellite Heart" is very pretty, in fact I kinda love it's simple, folksy beauty. The New Moon Remix of Muse's "I Belong To You" is very cool, very seventies glam rock. And lead single "Meet Me On The Equinox" from indie gods Death Cab For Cutie is a decent pop song with a somewhat catchy chorus. But most of these songs are instantly forgettable, if you even stay awake long enough to hear them. But you should try to keep sleep at bay, the disc ends with a movement from Alexandre Desplat's haunting score. "New Moon (The Meadow)" is starkly piano-driven and simply gorgeous. Perhaps a disc of the just the score would have been a better investment.

Kelly + Twilight = Meh? Is Something Wrong With My Math?

A couple of bloggers have posted a song that is rumored to appear on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack, and it's by my favorite Idol, lil' miss Kelly Clarkson. You didn't know it was Kelly week at the Pictures And Convos site, did you? Me neither...

Anyway, it's called "Did You" and it's not very good. Idolator implies that it may be a My December demo, and I think that sounds about right. The only problem being that it sounds like the worst songs from that album (which were kinda hookless and mopey) instead of the good stuff like "Irvine." It's not spooky and faux-goth enough to be cool like Paramore's contribution to the last soundtrack or even "Never Again" and not bouncy enough to be "Since U Been Gone" and the vocals seem squelched. I do know Kelly is a huge Twihard, so it makes sense she would get on board with a soundtrack cut. I just wish it sounded better.

Let's Talk Madonna & New Moon

Will Madonna play a role in New Moon? Rumor has it that Queen Of Pop will try to sink her fangs into the Twilight sequel's soundtrack. Since her manager is one of the producers of the eagerly awaited film, it's a major possibility.

Of course, some fans are quite dismayed at the idea. Compared to the teen-friendly rock bands on the original Twilight soundtrack like Paramore and Muse, the current incarnation of Madonna wouldn't gel. But listening closer to the soundtrack, you find a ten-year-old Collective Soul track and a new electronica song by 90s alt-rock legend Perry Farrell. So would Madonna's contribution be all that startling? Let's take a look at the reason why Ye Olde Vampyre (as D'Luv at Chart Rigger calls her) should work her magic on the Twilight franchise.

Prior Soundtrack Experience: Looking into Madge's back catalog, you find a long history of soundtrack cuts that are pop gems. Songs like "I'll Remember" from the otherwise forgettable With Honors or "Beautiful Stranger" from Austin Power are Madonna at her finest. Of course, it hasn't been all pop perfection, it's better to forget her cover of "American Pie" for The Next Best Thing.

She's A Chameleon: Anyone with eyeballs can see that Madonna doesn't remain static. In a world where pop stars have a shelf life of three albums, the Material Mom constantly re-evaluates what it takes to stay relevant, re-invents her own persona and re-animates her sound to stay fresh and current. If she can go from the glossed-over punk look of her Boy Toy phase, to the cone wearing temptress at Cannes, to the urban cowboy of the Music-era to M-Dolla, the OG sex goddess/dominatrix with a candy fetish she currently sports, why couldn't she create a song that fits into a moody, gothic love story? She can and, if tapped to join the soundtrack, she will.

She's Already Made Songs That Would Fit: As soon as I heard that Madonna was a rumored part of the soundtrack to New Moon, I thought "Devil Wouldn't Recognize." The track is buried in the back end of her latest album, Hard Candy, and is a spooky modern beat ballad ala Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" - no surprise since both were produced by Timbaland. It may be a little to urban, but the layered male background vocals provided a chant-like feel to the song. Listen:

Another song that has a dream-like sound that would easily blend into the New Moon action is "Frozen" from Ray Of Light. The sweeping orchestra under the darkly chill electronica sounds and beat would easily underscore a post-fight scene. Listen:

And don't forget her simple love ballads like "Crazy For You" that prove her ability to encompass a wide range of sounds and emotions. I don't recommend using any of these songs for the film, if you give Madonna the go-ahead she will wow us with a stunning new single that would fit perfectly. I have faith. Do you?

Now, we may find out that Madonna doesn't end up performing anything for the soundtrack. I just hope it's not due to screaming fangirls getting their knickers in a twist over Madonna's age or pop sounds. Cheer up, Twihards! There is more to the musical soundscape than you can find at Hot Topic.

Paramore Gets Moody With Twilight Single

Confession: I have never read the Twilight books. I keep forgetting to check them out at the library, and now I feel all left out 'cause everybody loves them. I came late to the Harry Potter party, was born too late to be an original Narnia and Lord Of The Rings fan, and apparently my love for Artemis Fowl is not enough to force a movie to be made. But enough tales from the Young Adult section! Let's talk music...

Paramore's Hayley Williams loves the Twilight books, like every emo girl should. So it makes sense that the band perform the lead single for the upcoming movie. "Decode" is a moody, almost gothic pop-punk track with Hayley's vocals doing what they do best: bouncing between walls of electric guitars and drums and emoting like no other power-pop princess. Listen to the song at Stephanie Meyer's official site.