'New Moon' soundtrack fails to outdo original

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The recently released “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” soundtrack might have sold 153,000 copies in its first week of release (claiming No. 1 on the Billboard 200) however, it fails to measure up to the previously released soundtrack of the first installment of the “Twilight” series.

The soundtrack for the prequel of “New Moon” consists of a variety of different songs, ranging from classical to rock, and although the “New Moon” CD has some gems, it sounds like a soundtrack for previously popular television series “The O.C.”

While I love the idea of an indie-rock soundtrack, “New Moon” has four songs that stand out while the rest sound predictable and repetitive.

The album features “Meet Me on the Equinox,” a new song by Death Cab for Cutie.

It fits perfectly with the movie’s theme of lovable Edward Cullen telling young Bella Swan that he can’t see her again — especially when the guitar strums coincide with the words “that everything, everything ends.” The melancholy song fits Death Cab’s usual, mellow flow while still meeting the somber mood of “New Moon.”

The CD features a song from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, but he fails to deliver and the song, “Hearing Damage,” proves to be a repetitive echo of incoherent lyrics. Perhaps it’s just the fact that Yorke is writing songs for a soundtrack created for girls drooling over a handsome vampire.

“Satellite Heart” by Anya Marina should be the song on the movie’s trailer. I’ve read the novel and it’s the one song on this CD that seems to genuinely fit the story. Marina’s voice radiates low notes and fits the gloomy tune of the music. The melody seems honest and true, much like, as disgustingly corny as this is, the love found in these novels.

The two artists who save this soundtrack from total failure are The Killers and Muse — and to them I say, thank you for not making my ears bleed. The Killers offer a song that actually has a beat and melody that doesn’t sound like tracks nine, 10 and 11. Their song “A White Demon Love Song,” has an eerie essence that actually comes off soothing and reflects a genre of indie mixed with rock.

For this album, Muse offers a remix of their song “I Belong to You,” which doesn’t sound much different from the original version (thank God). It’s upbeat with a more rock feel and offers a great break from the other bland indie songs that appear side-by-side with it on the CD. In the original song, Muse serenades us with a set of French lyrics; however, this part disappears in the “New Moon” remix.

They had to make a great song worse to fit with everything else. I advise listeners to download the original.

The last saving grace of this soundtrack is the ending track “New Moon (The Meadow)” by Alexandre Desplat. Although it might belong on the first “Twilight” soundtrack, it is the only classical and instrumental song on the CD. It is a simple, romantic piano melody that captures the essence of the “Twilight” series and is a breath of fresh air on an otherwise underwhelming collection.

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