As of Nov. 4, “Twilight” fans have a soundtrack to go with their vampire romance.
Released about two weeks before the movie, the “Twilight” soundtrack has climbed to the top of the Billboard Top Album chart. This indicates just how hard Twilight fans have been bitten by the “Twilight” bug — or vampire, in this case. The film and soundtrack are all a result of Stephenie Meyer’s number one bestselling book of the same title. In short, the book is the first in a four-part series that follows the trials and tribulations of a romance between the mortal Bella and the immortal vampire, Edward.
The soundtrack features two original tracks from Paramore that were written exclusively for the film. “Decode” is a moody rock-romance song that Paramore’s front-woman Haley Williams said, in an interview with MTV, “is about the building tension, awkwardness, anger and confusion between Bella and Edward.”
The other exclusive Paramore track, “Caught Myself,” has a lighter feel than “Decode.” The lyrics talk about a girl, presumably Bella, who is experiencing the varied emotions of falling in love. Both songs, driven by Williams’ powerful vocals, are both fun to listen to and catchy.
“I can’t write without music,” Meyer reveals on her web site. A few artists on the soundtrack are who author Stephenie Meyer considered inspiration while writing the book. In chapter seven of the novel, Bella is listening to a CD, which Meyer revealed on her web site is Linkin Park. “Leave Out All the Rest,” a rock ballad, made the track list for the CD. One of Meyer’s major influences who she credits much of the book to is Muse. Muse’s almost trippy “Supermassive Black Hole” begins the soundtrack.
Another exciting thing about the soundtrack is that actor Robert Pattinson, who portrays vampire heartthrob Edward, has an original track on the album. “Never Think” features Pattinson on acoustic guitar and vocals.
The song has a very melancholy feel to it. The song is solely guitar until just over one minute into the song, when Pattinson’s deep and soft voice comes in. His vocal style is a little strange — it sounds as if he is slurring the lyrics. It has an emo-yet-bluesy feel that works really well to create a pretty, melancholy acoustic piece.
A highly anticipated part of the soundtrack is “Bella’s Lullaby.” In the novel, Edward composes a piano lullaby for Bella. The song comes up throughout the series of books — it is an important part of their relationship. Fans of the novel began speculation within the blog-o-sphere very early and a few versions began to float around on YouTube.
When it was announced that Carter Burwell version would be the official lullaby, reactions were mixed. Personally, I was a bit disappointed. It is a beautiful song, but I had hoped it would be only piano. The Burwell version features an orchestra, though the piano is the most pronounced layer. I had hoped it would have a simpler melody.
The story of “Twilight” is set in a rainy town in Washington called Forks. The CD definitely compliments the weather — the majority of the songs could be classified as rainy day music. There are a few exceptions, such as Perry Farrell’s “Go All The Way.” The song is upbeat with a techno/electronica feel. Another upbeat track is “Spotlight (Twilight Mix)” by Mute Math. The song had a cool driving beat that will make you tap your toes along with it.
Even if you are not a “Twilight” fan, the CD may be worth checking out. If you enjoy a healthy mix of alt-rock and pop, chances are you’ll enjoy the soundtrack. For those who are fans of “Twilight,” you’ll enjoy reading into the lyrics and getting pumped for the release of the highly-anticipated film adaptation of the story.
