Review: Twilight, Eclipse Soundtrack
by Fiona Hanly
Rating: B (Twilight: Eclipse, as a movie: F–)
I don’t know where to begin on why I hate Twilight so, so much. There’s just too much to hate. But then again, this is not a literary blog, or a vampire blog, or a Teen Korner blog, this is a blog about music. And the Twilight: Eclipse Official Soundtrack makes me forgive Twilight a tiny, almost insignificant bit for making the world so much worse. The Twilight movie saga has set a strange reputation for itself by roping in more and more (previously?) respectable indie bands to create and collaborate on original tracks for the movie soundtracks–a moneymaking scheme, no doubt, but one I finally agree with.
As this is the easiest way to go about a “Various Artists” album, I’ll run through the best and worst tracks artist-by-artist. Metric’s track “Eclipse – All Yours” is decent at best–there’s no denying Emily Haines is a golden god no matter what she attempts, but the song just falls flat. As an aside, who is Sia? Did I miss something? What is that name? Wasn’t there that one song everybody put on their angsty mixtapes for a while? Anyway, “My Love” is utter twee, but movies need those moments just like we do (unless we’re robots). I’d never heard Cee-Lo on his own before (which isn’t a surprise, if you look at his utterly impressive list of collaborations), but “What Part of Forever” made me curious for more.
As for the real highlights–the Black Keys track “Chop and Change” is gritty, gritty gold with epic movie potential (does the beginning remind anyone else of Inception?). Good work on two great tracks from Bombay Bicycle Club (“How Can You Swallow So Much“) and Battles (“The Line“), Twilight producers, you’ve truly upped your ante with some indie heft. There’s a Beck* and Bat for Lashes collaboration–a track I at first thought might turn out like Converse’s first and second round of summer jams (read: really, really high expectations thanks to a dream team collab coupled with a really, really mediocre turnout). “Let’s Get Lost” actually turned out great, to be honest–the two utterly different respective vocal styles melded together perfectly.
Finally–as per usual, I’ve saved the best for last, only because everything else pales in comparison to Florence + the Machine‘s “Heavy in Your Arms.” I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I get depth overcharge when it comes to this band. “Heavy in Your Arms” is thundering, epic, utterly mind-blowing–and oh, the funniest, cruelest joke, it’s not actually in the movie–it’s not even the first song as the credits roll, to add insult to injury, it’s the second. Which is, I suppose, in a roundabout way best, because if the scene this song was slated for was not the most epic, rousing battle scene in the movie, then it’s probably best it was cut altogether. Because, in the end, the whole movie (Kristen Stewart-the-Worst included) should have been cut as a scene, leaving only this decent soundtrack behind it.
Up next for the Twilight movie soundtracks? One mega-collaboration track with every artist on the album contributing to the same song–a la “We Are The World.”
OK in my deefnse, I totes think I started reading under the wrong impression. I basically had this series shoved in my face by a bunch of women who are our age, or older…all of them college-educated with good jobs. This lead me to believe that it was undiscovered literary genius. That’s how I read the first book…in 2 days. With that belief and manoman, I was PISSED. I still haven’t started book 2 (mainly because bloggers and book clubs have kept me busy…although I’m pretty sure I could read it cover-to-cover while on the elliptical today). I know that if I had read it in high school, I would totes be sucked in (hello, Sweet Valley High?) but I’m just having a hard time with it all as a 30-something. And I’m so glad Jacob is 18 now. I did feel a little pervy about that, although the age of consent is 16 in KY.You are on my list of girls I think about every time I see Twilight Ken. You and Foxy and Jen Lancaster…not necessarily a bad group to run with. I feel kinda bad about not being in that company, actually.