Album Review: Forever Love Songs From The Twilight Saga
3 min read
Nope, you didn’t read the title wrong. Another cd has been released under the Twilight franchise. But never fear, it does not mean another movie will be thrust upon us; this is a compilation of love songs from all of the Twilight soundtracks, released to celebrate Valentine’s Day. (In other words, people are still trying to cash in on Twilight even though it’s over). But before you roll your eyes and flick to the next cd/download/music review, stop to take a minute to look at this album. What you find might surprise you.
The important thing to remember is that none of these 34 tracks are Twilight specific; take them out of the movie context and they still make sense. Therefore you don’t need to worry about images of Twilight scenes popping up in your head as the music washes over you.
The three instrumental compositions on the soundtrack – Bella’s Lullaby, New Moon (The Meadow) and Jacob’s Theme – are completely amazing. It is so easy to get lost in these beautiful melodies and let your imagination wander. Burwell’s lullaby is soft and sweet, whilst Desplat’s The Meadow is enchanting yet with a hint of tragedy. Shore’s Jacob’s Theme has a more eerie and haunting tone, but is still beautiful nonetheless. If you’re a fan of instrumental tracks, or even if you’re not, definitely check out these scores of composition gold.
As an album intended for Valentine’s Day, the compilation contains ballads and sweet sentiments. For those looking for the perfect love song, look no further than Turning Page by Sleeping At Last. With lyrics like: “I surrender who I’ve been for who you are/For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart”, it’s the perfect song to woo your valentine. Industry heavyweights also lend their voices to some of the biggest ballads on the soundtrack, with It Will Rain by Bruno Mars, The Forgotten by Green Day and of course, A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, all other noteworthy ballads and highlights on the album.
However, you might be pleased to know that the majority of these love songs aren’t actually ballads. Many tracks such as Ours (The Bravery), A Million Miles An Hour (Eastern Conference Champions) and Friends (Band of Skulls) have an alternative edge, and show the variety that exists on this album. Solar Midnite (Lupe Fiasco) also shows diversity, with a contemporary alternative/rap song that features an excellent electric guitar riff. These types of alternative songs far overtake the ballads on the album, which may please those who are looking for less soppy songs for Valentine’s Day, or those who simply dislike ballads.
The one thing that I dislike about this compilation is that I would like to know how the songs were chosen. Obviously many have made it onto the soundtrack but personal favourites of mine Decode (Paramore), Satellite Heart (Anya Marina) and Heavy In Your Arms (Florence + The Machine), to name a few, didn’t make the cut. However, that being said, the songs added to this album are all fantastic songs.
To put it bluntly: Don’t be put off by the Twilight franchising. I too was skeptical before listening to this album, but quickly discovered new loves and re-discovered old ones. Not only would this album and all it’s variety be great for Valentine’s Day, it would also be great all year round.
