The songs have been excellently selected for this album, and should definitely grab your interest if you're looking for a couple of tracks you've never heard before (unless you've watched the show, of course).
The album begins and ends with a sample of the score by Michael Suby. This is brilliant for die-hard fans, but neither of these are the piece of music you would regard as the show's 'theme tune'. I was surprised not to find the music played at the end of each episode on the track list. If you've never seen the show before, these pieces bear no relevance to the rest of the album, and you'll be likely to skip them when listening.
From Stefan's Theme, we go straight into a haunting cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill by Placebo. The way the instrumental is put together is very atmospheric. The vocals, reminiscent of David Bowie, coupled with the haunting composition make this track a little 'off the wall'.
Next there is a change of pace with Currency of Love by the Silversun Pickups. It's a fast, alternative rock song, running for 5.30 minutes - the longest song on the album. The instrumental hook is incredibly addictive making the song's length more of a positive than a negative. This is one of the best, most memorable songs on the album. Unfortunately, this over-shadows the next song Hammock, which has more of a chilled vibe than the previous. In it's own right, the song is pretty good and is definitely one to stick on your iPod.
The next couple of tracks are a little 'off the wall' again. Both of which are atmospheric and slightly haunting. The sixth track on the album, Bloodstream, which has been remixed for The Vampire Diaries is a standout track. From the vocals to the oh so simple piano arrangement, the song takes you to another place. You feel the emotion in the song.
Thinking about it's relation to the show, I think they did a pretty good job selecting songs that marked special moments. Bloodstream by Stateless, Down by Jason Walker and Cut by Plumb are the three songs that fans are most likely to remember from the show. However there is one song that I feel could have replaced one of the less relevant ones (such as We Radiate by Goldfrapp). All I Need by Within Temptation marked a massive moment for fans of the show and therefore I think it would have made sense to include it.
Other than this little blip, the album is a huge success. The selection of indie/alternative artists and the variety of tempos and moods makes for an excellent album. There is something on the album to listen to, however you're feeling. I do think the album starts out better than it finishes, but regardless, you'll still be playing the entire album on replay whether you're a fan of the show or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment