The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn- Part 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Album-The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Various Artists

Whatever is said about the Twilight movies, each soundtrack to the saga has been highlighted as very good. I’ve always just heard a few tracks from the saga, so I decided to buy this last one and see whether it is actually better than the film. Here are my thoughts:

Track 1- Where I Come From             Artist-Passion Pit

The opening track is a bit eurgh. Lyrically it’s just not that great, and vocally it sounds a bit weird. I just personally didn’t like it, and feel that Passion pit really need to step up their game. The only thing that saves this song a tiny bit is the interesting beat that plays throughout. It’s just not enough for me to like this.

1.5/5

Track 2- Bittersweet                            Artist- Ellie Goulding

This track would have felt out of place on Goulding own 2012 album “Halcyon”, but fits perfectly into the depression driven dramatic world of  Twilight. With cool production by Skrillex who gives a subtle dupstep influence to the song, this is one of the most up tempo songs of the soundtrack, and so should be appreciated because of this. The song is also vocally powerful in the chorus and lyrically simple yet effective, and for me one of Ellie Goulding’s best songs.

4/5

Track 3- The Forgotten                       Artist- Green Day

Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt is quoted as saying that when asked to take part in the soundtrack “we accepted without hesitation because it is an amazing cultural phenomenon”. To Green Day I say: what the hell is wrong with you? Yes it’s a cultural phenomenon, doesn’t mean you have to jump on board. Especially when you are going to make a track that is this bad. It’s just so bland. Lyrics barely register on the human brain, the vocals are dire, and its just so stereotypical its just wrong. And the saddest thing is that this is from a band that gave us American Idiot, which is an awesome song. If this is what Green Day has to offer now, its time they just call it a day.

0/5

Track 4- Fire in the Water                  Artist- Feist

This short track is perhaps the most dark of the set. With a delicate vocal performance and heavy use of drums, this is perhaps one of Feist’s most epic offerings to date. And it definitely brings the soundtrack back on track after that last song (yep, I still think it’s that bad that I need to mention it again).

3.5/5

Track 5- Everything and Nothing      Artist- The Boom Circuits

This cool light techno track provides a nice transition from the last song, and that’s all it really has to offer. But none the less a simple, nice track.

3/5

Track 6- The Antidote                         Artist- St. Vincent

The Muse’s “Super Massive Black Hole” for this last soundtrack, this is still a sad track but is given a bit more grit by a thumping bass line and potent rock edge. However the lyrics are just so so, the repetition can really grate one you after a while, and the vocals of this track are nothing special. So whilst it’s not a terrible track, it’s not a good one either.

2/5

Track 7- Speak Up                                Artist- POP ETC

The layered, maybe auto tuned vocals of this track indeed indicate that this is the most pop offering on this largely alternative album, in association with the artists title. The nice thing a about this track is the transitions between the verses and the chorus. If you just listened to the beginning of the track you might just deem it as another depressing song, but with a thumping electronic production, the clash of drums and the change in vocal key, this is actually an interesting song about not helping the one you love. The guitar strumming of the verses also gives a nice pace to the track. Good work Pop ETC.

3.5/5

Track 8- Heart of Stone                       Artist- Iko

Heart Of Stone is a simple piano driven ballad that was reportedly inspired by the franchise itself. The vocals might be a little off compared to other songs but the lyrics are simple and effective, and indeed leaving this as piano driven adds a great dimension to the song. Even the repeated lyric of “I can breathe water” isn’t that annoying. Although that’s not to say it isn’t maybe a tad annoying. Sorry Iko, but why couldn’t you get another lyric in there?

3/5

Track 9- Cover Your Tracks                 Artist- A Boy and His Kite

For me this is one of the best tracks on the soundtrack. It is very much a singer-songwriter song that is very current right now thanks to the likes of Ed Sheeran. And indeed it never tries to be anything its not. With a slow burning guitar melody that gives a nice flavouring to the song and vocals that never try to be acrobatically awesome in terms of power but simply play to the singers strengths, this is a great track. And when the drums kick in at the end, you can’t help but feel just that bit uplifted, something greatly needed with this album.

4/5

Track 10- Ghosts                                  Artist- James Vincent McMorrow

Its hear that the soundtrack starts to get a bit heavy, as were immersed in slow tempo, ballad territory. Its not a bad track but just needs something extra to elevate it.

2/5

Track 11- All I Ever Needed                Artist- Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed

An Ex American Idol Contestant and the actress who played Rosalie in the film. Not a combination that many would expect. But whilst again depressing, this tracks transcends the others in that the female and male vocal duet taps into the psyche of the film completely, truly expressing that idea of having someone for eternity because they are all you need.

3.5/5

Track 12- New For You                        Artist- Reeve Carney

Okay so it’s at this point that I was just tempting to stop listening and just play some up tempo happy music. It’s a nice delicate vocal and a simple track, but I’ve said that about most of the tracks on this album. So this could have easily been cut. Sorry Carney

2.5/5

Track 13- A Thousand Years, Pt.2        Artist- Christina Perri featuring Steve Kazee

Why Christina, just why? The original A Thousand Years, which appeared on the last Twilight soundtrack, was a simple piano driven song that smartly played to the idea of eternal love that exists within twilight, and was in my eyes a song of pure perfection. This new version seems designed to just jump on the bandwagon of sequel songs, and just shouldn’t exist. Steve Kazee doesn’t add any new dimension to the song, the lyrics are barely changed from the original, and even Perri’s vocals sound different to the orginal and not as on point. Please Miss Perri, don’t do things like this again.

1/5

Track 14- “Plus que ma propre vie" (More Than My Own Life)        Artist- Carter Burwell

This is not a lyrical song, but merely a simple, light instrumental track. And whilst not great, it’s a nice way to end this soundtrack, in that it perhaps presents the heart of the film: that aside from the vampires and werewolves, this is a simple story about the fight for love.

3/5

The Twilight Saga soundtracks seem to be built upon the notion of getting a load of melodramatic, depressing songs and putting them on the same album. And that’s not to say this is a bad thing- these are some great, smart songs. You just need to be sad when you listen to this, otherwise it’s just no good to you.

5.5/10