CD Review: Eclipse Soundtrack

The Twilight Saga movies are notorious for mediocre films and a huge fan base that’s grown like a weed since the release of the movies in November 2008.  Critics are quick to discourage people to see the movie and fans are quick to defend at all costs. The music has been one of the only things that have been a highlight of the films. Although, I must say, “New Moon” was better than “Twilight” and by the looks of the “Eclipse” trailer, it will be better than “New Moon”. Maybe by “Breaking Dawn”, it’ll be Oscar-worthy...Okay, so maybe I’m dreaming a little bit.

I am a fan of the books first and foremost. I was introduced to them before the “Twilight” hype took over the media and the world and I’ll always love the books more. The movies are amusing at best. They are able to put a face to the name and allow the imagination to widen and become more open to new ideas. I will be one of the first to say that the movies aren’t that great (at least the first two). The acting is just okay, the directing is mediocre (with the exception of Catherine Hardwick – I was really not impressed with her directing style for “Twilight”...it could have been done so much better), and overall, it was just rushed.

A movie is never a movie without music. Whether it’s just instrumentals in the background that aids an intense moment or urges a superior fight scene, or it’s a song by a popular artist, it adds to the movie. All can agree that without the background sounds and music a movie produces, the movie would just be moving pictures. Yes, there is more than one component that makes a movie what it is, but one of the most important (or so I believe) is the music.

Music has always been essential to a lot of people’s lives. It’s the music that tells the story of their life or what’s happening in the world. The beat gives substance and the lyrics add meaning to something that otherwise cannot be described. I for one rely on music a lot of the time to try and make sense of what my feelings are. It’s a part of me as it’s a part of a lot of other people in the world. It’s a voice that otherwise won’t be heard.

Now, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie is not due out until June 30, 2010 but a preview of the new  soundtrack was made available for 24 hours on inmusic.ca (among other websites), and has given a glimpse into what fans can expect to hear during the movie.

Overall the music is a lot more upbeat and promising then the last movie, “New Moon”.  Due to the content of the book and now the movie, Eclipse is supposed to have a more upbeat feel that is full of love, conflict and drama.  I’m excited to say that they picked a stellar line-up for the soundtrack and am excited to see how they put the music to use.

Keeping with the themes of the other two films, the music is a mix of bright, happy tunes and sad and depressing. It also sticks to the theme of using artists who don't sound like your average "pop" band. They carry a folksy-art tune that is eccentric and exciting. Strong beats and a steady rhythm is consistent in all the songs and allow the listener to create story lines for the songs. It will be interesting to see where they choose to incorporate the songs throughout the movie (if they use them IN the movie at all). It's easy to picture certain moments in the book with certain songs. Here's to hoping the directors will be able to do the same thing for the movie.

Fans can expect to find music from Canadian talent Metric with her song “Eclipse (I’m Yours), Vampire Weekend, Muse, The Black Keys and of course Howard Shore who has written the score for the past two films (among many other talented artists). The entire album has an eccentric feel to it and suits the film just as the other soundtracks have suited “Twilight” and “New Moon”.  I can tell you that the majority of the music on here isn’t normally something I’d listen to, but it’s definitely a soundtrack that I believe is worth remembering.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack will be released to stores on June 8, 2010 while the movie will be released worldwide on June 30, 2010. Check out the preview at www.eclipsesoundtrack.com/preorder

Written by: Taryn McElheran

photo courtesy of shutterpillar (flickr)