Various Artists

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

[2.5/5]



Nearly everything touched by the Twilight movie franchise turns to gold (or, using the parlance of the film, sparkles). Just ask British singer/songwriter Bobby Long, whose profile rose in America after actor/star vampire Robert Pattinson–an old pal from their London open-mic days–sang Long’s song “Let Me Sign” on the first film’s soundtrack. Presto! Long became a cult artist with a rabid fanbase, which has allowed him to tour the States and release an album of Bob Dylan-esque rock.



Turning the obscure into stars seems to be the aim of the New Moon soundtrack. Besides a few rock heavyweights (The Killers, Death Cab For Cutie and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke), the lineup reads like a who’s-who of indie darlings (Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, St. Vincent) and up-and-comers (Lykke Li, Anya Marina, Band Of Skulls).



Perhaps unsurprisingly, the established acts fare best. Death Cab’s “Meet Me On The Equinox” is the best song on the album–and the best thing they’ve released since 2003’s Transatlanticism. Vocalist Ben Gibbard sounds generally rueful, as funky bass burbles and sepia-toned post-punk riffs flower around him. (Think Silversun Pickups hobnobbing with Echo & The Bunnymen.) Thom Yorke’s “Hearing Damage” is exactly what you want from a solo Yorke song: moody sloganeering, skittering rhythms and perforated keyboards. OK Go’s surprising “Shooting The Moon” sheds all traces of their perky power-pop; the song conjures the weirder side of the Beatles by mashing together British Invasion and classic-rock riffs, bizarre-world synths and a playful orchestra.



Other tunes on New Moon, however, aren’t quite so engaging. The “New Moon” remix of Muse’s “I Belong To You” sounds like a lukewarm Franz Ferdinand B-side. The Killers’ piano-tickled, wintry “A White Demon Love Song” fumbles around as if lost in a blizzard. Lykke Li’s creepy-child-choir vocals add a grating edge to the dreary dirge “Possibility,” and even St. Vincent’s lovely crooning can’t save Bon Iver’s soul-folk snoozefest “Roslyn.”



The disappointing thing about New Moon is that it could have been better. Howling Bells–the side project of Longwave’s Steve Schiltz–uncover their inner Robert Pollard on the fantastic distortion-jangle gem “Monsters,” while Sea Wolf’s trembling indie folk puts Bright Eyes to shame. Band Of Skulls’ hefty, distorted stoner-blues is hypnotic and vibrant. Unfortunately, the same descriptors can’t be applied to much of the rest of New Moon. (CHOP SHOP/ATLANTIC) Annie Zaleski



GO DOWNLOAD: Death Cab For Cutie’s “Meet Me On The Equinox”