The (in)famous Twilight saga now has its fangs stuck in the bloodstream of American pop culture. With four best-selling novels and one high-grossing movie, the film adaptation of second book New Moon is sure to create a sanguinary sensation.
New Moon’s soundtrack employs some of the highest profile names in the music world. The variety of artists—luminaries like Death Cab for Cutie, Muse, Grizzly Bear, Thom Yorke and Lykke Li all contribute fresh material—makes it hard to make overarching statements, but common themes do emerge.
There is a malaise surrounding all of the tracks, which makes it difficult to connect to most of the songs. An inexplicable underlying folk influence tries unsuccessfully to tie the album together. The consistent lack of vocal polish would make even Conor Oberst cringe. In the end, the record feels more like an angst fest of folksy garage band wannabes than an artsy film accompaniment.
The Killers’ ode to cadaverous romance, “A White Demon Love Song,” falls short of emotive. It feels like a creepily cartoonish sketch, Brandon Flowers’ vocals reaching a new level of grating. This is the audible equivalent of a homework assignment done 30 minutes before class. The Killers earn an ‘F’ in compilation albums.
The New Moon sountrack feels just as fake as Kristen Stewart’s acting.
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