VAMPIRE ACADEMY - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014)

Mark Waters latest film is the newest young adult (read: teenager) adaptation about a group of half vampire half human heroines who, well, have to protect their kind against a greater evil. Is the music on the movie’s soundtrack “vampire-ish” enough to set it apart from the other soundtracks of similar genre (read: Twilight, The Mortal Instruments) featuring pop songs teens would dump into their playlists?

The 44 minute album does try to compile a list of thematic songs to align itself with the movie’s plot. Just look at track titles like “In Your Grave”, “Sinful Nature” and “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” – how’s that for feeling all gothic?

Credit also goes to the soundtrack producers for infusing dark and edgy elements into the music. American singer Sky Ferreira’s “Red Lips” is hypnotically jittery, while Max Frost’s “Nice and Slow” takes things at a more relaxed pace, giving you some time to breathe.

Elsewhere, English electronic music duo Goldfrapp seduces with the trippy “Thea”, the Bradford born Natalia Kills energises things up a little with “Boys Don’t Cry”, while Australian singer Iggy Azalea performs the dance party worthy “Bounce”. There’s something for everybody in this teenage friendly soundtrack.

You also get the soulful Ella Eyre belting out the R & B tune “Think About It”, British recording artist crooning the hip hop track “Rats” and electronic dream pop group Au Revoir Simone buzzing some feel good vibes with “Crazy”.

The album’s highlight is “Spiritual”, a song written by Katy Perry for her fourth studio album “Prism”. Perry sings: “Lay me down at your altar, baby/ I’m a slave to this love/ Your electric lips have got me speaking in tongues/ I have prayed for a power like you/ To see deep down in my soul/ Oh, you make me bloom like a flower, a desert rose.” Those are some very powerful imageries indeed, Ms Perry. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (10) Spiritual - Katy Perry

Review by John Li