User blog:AK151/Thoughts on RWBY's Volume 2 Soundtrack

I've been biting at the bit to get ahold of this, and I am so ridiculously pumped to finally be able to listen to the full version of these songs that I cannot accurately put it into words. At some point in the near future, probably once the lyrics for each song are released, I'll do a song-by-song analysis (that's at least what I want to do). But for now, I really just want to vent my excitement. So these are, in essense, my preliminary thoughts on the RWBY Volume 2 soundtrack.

Time to Say Goodbye
I've always loved this song. It made for a fantastic opening theme, and had some interesting themes, as well as some potential foreshadowing. There's not much else I can say about this song without going super in-depth with the lyrics, which I will probably end up doing later. For now, I'm going to say that the song has a fantastic beat and tune, a very good use of instrumentation, incredible vocals, and thematic lyrics. As an opening theme, I think I prefer it to This Will Be the Day, but that's just me. It feels like, compared to This Will Be the Day, Time to Say Goodbye is a bit more dynamic with how the tune of the song evolves and progresses. Structurally, the songs are somewhat similar, with a verse, chorus, verse, chorus (This Will Be the Day has a guitar solo instead), slow section, then final chorus. However, I just feel that I like Time to Say Goodbye a bit better. I think it's a combination of my preference for its actual tune and more compelling lyrics. But in any case, it's a fantastic song, and a very good way to start the soundtrack.

Die
Alright, this is what I've been waiting for. Time to Say Goodbye is a very good song, by all rights, but it doesn't make my blood rise like Die. This song is just so intense, and not like Caffeine (which I will also talk about); you listen to this song and you feel the emotions of the narrator, and you just get pumped up. Musically-wise, the song sounds fantastic, even more so than Time to Say Goodbye in my opinion; I listened to the rough version of this song more than almost any other RWBY song, and the extended version is even better. The first bit, the same as the rough version, still sounds fantastic, but the song really kicks it up in the second verse after that fantastic initial chorus; the drums sound stronger, you can hear an electric piano/organ in an undertone, and then it kicks it into high-gear with the incredibly strong vocals; then comes in a blistering guitar solo, which was very well played and very well placed (when I heard it, I started grinning like a madman). Then comes our quiet-ish section that serves as our build-up to the final chorus, and let me tell you, that part is amazing. In the background, you've got "Say goodbye, time to die", and then Casey comes in as it starts to hit the climax; at the peak of that furor, I can't help but start laughing like a psychopath. Then, all of the instrumentation goes away, you hear the first line of the chorus backed by nothing, and then the entire song explodes for an extraordinary finale. I can't wait to talk more about this one, and I daresay it's one of my favorite RWBY songs of all time (up there with Mirror Mirror).

Shine
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of the techno-processed vocals prevalent throughout this one. The lyrics, however, are very touching, and provide a sharp contrast to the previous song, Die. Honestly, I'm more a fan of the grimdark songs of RWBY, but even so, Shine is quite refreshing, even if some of the instrumentation makes me cringe a bit; overall, the song is very good, with a relaxing tune that provides a very upbeat feeling. It's sort of like one of those boy-band love songs (except, you know, good). The narrator is obviously Pyrrha, but I still think the lyrics are relatable for a lot of people (which is one of the reasons I love the soundtrack: the ease of which people can relate to the lyrics of the songs [well, most of the songs]. It makes them that much more meaningful). So, all in all, it's much more upbeat, quire refreshing, but with some off-putting instrumentation and vocal filters (at least in my person opinion).

Dream Come True
Another upbeat song with a similar theme (lyrics-wise) to Shine, except less assertive. Shine is about someone a bit fed up and taking control of the situation; Dream Come True starts out with the narrator sort of lamenting unrequited love, but by the end of the song, the lyrics are more assertive and confident. With regards to instrumentation, it feels like Dream Come True is a bit of a companion song to Shine; both have similar themes, and their instrumentation and strong beats lend themselves to a party environment (which is sort of where both of them originated from). They're very upbeat, and have lyrics involving attraction that isn't mutual (or is unnoticed). Dream Come True again sports some very relatable lyrics. As with Shine, it's refreshing and a bit relaxing (I think these two songs are a bit of a cool-down after the blood-pumping experience of listening to Die). Shine and Dream Come True both feel like party songs.

Caffeine
Alright, let's get the blood pumping again. Unfortunately, I can't relate to the lyrics, as I've never had coffee (or any caffeine), but jeez, I never realized it could be this insane. I absolutely adore this song; it's fantastic fun with its lyrics (despite the heavy instrumentation lending itself to combat, it's a song about the glories of caffeine). The progression of the instrumentation is pretty fantastic, with fast-paced drumming and a guitar base. While the lyrics aren't particularly deep or insightful compared to the other songs, they're just brilliant fun, with fantastic vocals and a very fitting rap section. I love this song's chorus, which gives me the image of a caffeine-fueled grinning psychopath. Judging from this song, it's no wonder Oobleck moves at speeds surpassing sound and light. So, yeah, nothing deep or insightful; it plays like a combat song (which it's introduced as), but its lyrics turn it into an all-purpose song of infinite enjoyment. It's a great theme for CVFY, and makes them just that much cooler.

All Our Days
Talk about contrasts. All Our Days serves as Caffeine's cooldown, with a slow beat and a more thematic set of lyrics. As a piano player, I instantly fell in love with this piece; Casey's singing in this one is extraordinarily beautiful, and the lyrics are equally touching (the endearment and sincerity actually made my eyes water). It's an absolutely beautiful piece about being that everlastingly loyal friend many of us wish and try to be. And that's what makes it perfect. It works well as a cool-down, but its lyrics are some of the most relatable in any RWBY song (for me, at least), which is why it's now one of my favorites, almost up there with Mirror Mirror and Die. It's simply beautiful.

Boop
Well, this was unexpected, and adorable. Following in the footsteps of Shine and Dream Come True (and also All Our Days), this is about someone's feelings for someone else. However, this song is Nora's. It's not because of the title, but because of the feeling of the song. It starts out a bit soft, but that dissolves as the instrumentation really kicks in; the song's consistently upbeat, but it's so bombastic and bubbly. The lyrics are playful and cute, but are also very touching. And of course, the line about crushing enemies made this undoubtedly Nora's. And despite the Nora-brand psychopathy, the entire song is an adorable ode to her relationship with Ren.

Sacrifice
There were two songs I was looking forward to in this soundtrack: Die was one of them. Sacrifice is the other. The short version hooked me with a very good tune, and incredibly compelling lyrics. It's a song of defiance. In all honestly, part of me is a bit disappointed (I made a prediction that it would be the antithesis to Red Like Roses Part II in that it would be an argument between two people), but at the same time, I still love the song. I love the second verse (like Die, it feels like the second verse is just a bit more primal. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but it sounds a bit stronger, which is pretty cool), and its lyrics are still very powerful. The sudden dropdown was unexpected, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I love it, as it's really haunting and has some very good, amost taunting lyrics; on the other hand, it feels like there should be another chorus in between the verse and the soft section. Be that as it may, the explosion, while not as blood-rising as Die, is still fairly powerful with a very good, if a bit short, guitar solo and a final, very powerful and defiant chorus. I can't wait to go more in-depth with this one, but as it is, I love it.

This Will Be the Day
And I said Boop was unexpected. I didn't see this one coming at all. It's a piano-heavy version of This Will Be the Day, which automatically makes it skyrocket up my list of favorite songs. Casey, as usual, does a brilliant job with her singing, and her vocals are utterly stunning. The instrumentation, as I mentioned, is piano-heavy with a bit of cello. It sounds much more melancholy than the original version, attributed to a slightly reduced tempo and the soft, haunting way Casey sings the lyrics. I love this rendition of the song, and it's a worthy addition to the soundtrack.

The Remixes
As someone who wasn't a fan of Shine's techno-heavy instrumentation and vocal filters, I was sort of predisposed towards not particularly liking these songs. They're good remixes in their own right, but they honestly are far from my metaphorical cup of tea.

The Scores
Well, they're the scores for the episodes. The music in the actual show functions fantastically well as background music, and perfectly conveys the atmosphere of the scene its being used in; I love it whenever character themes are played with, and, as with last volume, there is an abundance of that here. Best Day Ever has some fantastic combat music, and there's lots of playing around with character themes, starting out with From Shadows, which gets a fast-paced redux for its piano section; we then have my personal favorite theme, Mirror Mirror, which made me grin, especially when the electric guitar came in. After that, the combat music gets a bit more into new themes, but then it hits its peak with a new rendition of the Red Like Roses finale (which in and of itself gets a new finale, one that I honestly prefer to the original). Following that, there's the surprising inclusion of a piano version of Time to Say Goodbye, which is very welcome. Painting the Town has some good combat music as well, with a good callback to Roman's theme (which remains one of my favorite motifs in the series); I'm sad there wasn't an episode cut of Die, sort of like what Jeff did with Episode 8 of Volume 1's score, but that's a minor issue. Extracurricular has some more great combat music, which contributes to my love of the Pyrrha vs. CRDL fight scene. Dance Dance Infiltration has a really great fight theme as well, when we really start to see Cinder tear crap up. No Brakes has some really good combat music (some of my favorite, in fact). I really love the music that plays when Neo and Yang face off, and it's only overshadowed by the the Mirror Mirror rendition that plays when Weiss squares off against the White Fang lieutenant, a rendition I thought was very good.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I'm in love with very nearly every single in the soundtrack. The scores have some fantastic moments, but I'll be spending the majority of my time listening to the brilliant vocal masterpieces Jeff, Casey, and their crew have created. When the lyrics for the singles are posted, I'll start doing more in-depth reviews of some of the singles (or maybe all of them, who knows?). Maybe they just serve as an excuse for me to run my mouth some more about how much I love this music, but oh well. Until then, good day!