Since there's no episode to review or speculate on right now (like I tend to do that often anyways), let's talk about the newly released RWBY soundtrack that I for one have been itching to get my hands on for a long time. There's a lot to talk about, which is exactly what I'm going to do. And before I get this started, I want to get one thing out of the way: no matter what I say below, understand that this is probably one of my most satisfying buys regarding music of all time, right up there with the Lord of the Rings CR, which is saying a lot. I'm also listening to it as I write this post. So, with all that being said, let's get this started.
Red Like Roses Part II
Red Like Roses Part 2
Out of the singles released by Jeff Williams prior to the soundtrack release, Red Like Roses Part II was probably my favorite song (tied with Mirror Mirror and This Will be the Day). The main reason for this is because, like From Shadows (which I'll touch on later) and Mirror Mirror, it gives us insight into some of our characters, namely Ruby (at least, that's what we assume given the fact that it plays during what could be really called her moment).
Let's get this over with, and this is the reason for the sort of disclaimer above, because I'm going to be nitpicky about the songs, as I am with anything I absolutely love. First off, I miss the orchestral opening (which I understand is included in the score for Players and Pieces), and I do think that Jeff should have kept it in. I think I just need to get used to the sudden start, but once I get used to that, I'll have to get used to the somewhat weird segue between the chorus and the second verse (which I thought was an amazing addition otherwise); I think if the transition had maybe another beat before the introduction of the loud drums, it wouldn't have been a problem. Also, there's my small issue with the second chorus: it follows an exceptionally powerful verse, with a lot of depth in the voice and layering to make it seem, audibly, stronger. The second chorus, comparatively, is a bit weaker (I think that may be the fault of the sudden transition between the two singers). I'm not sure how one would go about suggesting how to make the second chorus stronger, but I'm just throwing that opinion out there. And finally, there's the ending. The final chorus is perfect in pretty much every way, being slightly different and stronger than the other two, and it all builds up to a pretty fantastic ending, except for one thing: the final word, the final note sung, is sung without instrumentation. Now, for me, without the instrumentation, the vocals don't sound out-of-tune by any stretch of the imagination, but that final note, for some reason, makes my brain think it's a transition, not an ending. I think if the instrumentation had one final beat with the vocals, I would have no problem with it.
What the hell happened to Ruby?
Now, that's the critique and criticism out of the way. It's long because I'm trying to describe my issues, not because I had a lot of them (total of four very small issues). Let's now talk about why this song is amazing. First off, before I go into anything else, I'm going to drop one question that most of us are probably going to ask after hearing this song:
What the hell happened to Ruby?
Seriously, assuming this song is in the past, which I assume it is, because it would be strange for it to be foreshadowing considering its emphasis on past-tense, Ruby's lost someone close to her, and she's got some issues about it. Now, Monty himself has confirmed that Ruby was not, somewhat quote on quote "saved by a Hunter from an incident that killed her grandmother or similar figure." Now, either one can interpret this as Ruby not losing any mother/father figure, but I choose not to do this and I interpret it as Monty being coyly specific about the whole "hunter" thing.
One of my favorite parts about the entire song is the whole "argument" verse, where Ruby (I assume) and her lost loved one (I assume) go back and forth, the latter trying to justify what I assume from the lyrics was a vain sacrifice ("I don't want you to waste your life in vain."), and I think that verse also has, in my opinion, one of the most powerful lines in any of the songs: "It's your blood that's red like roses." I think that line is so strong because we've heard "Red like roses" since last November with Ruby's debut, and we've been in the dark on what it was really referring to. Of course, it was easy to infer what the line was referencing, but there never was any confirmation on that, until now. And that gives the phrase "red like roses" in both songs (Red Like Roses and Part II) an almost new meaning.
Also, I didn't say this at the beginning, but the addition of the other singer (acting as, again, I assume, Ruby's lost loved one) was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Now, I've talked about Red Like Roses enough (and I still could, as it's still one of my favorites), but let's move on.
I Burn
I Burn
I actually don't have as much to say about this one, so I'll try to keep it somewhat brief. I know I'm not the only one who was waiting for this one. And like most, the rap portion threw me for a loop when I first heard it. Then I thought it was brilliant. To me, the sudden contrast sort of represents Yang's personality in combat: we've got our extremely competent fighter, as seen in the trailer, but until the end of the trailer, she's holding back, not really giving it everything she's got. That's the musical portion of the song. When the rap kicks in, that's sort of like her state of mind when her hair gets hurt (I love that quirk), where she loses basically all inhibitions and goes absolutely all out. Also, the rap verse has my favorite line from that song ("Seems you f*cks will never learn, now sit back and watch me burn!"). Also, shout out to "world-class and super saiyan now."
Aside from that, I think all the additions to the song are awesome, and it's a really, really good addition to the soundtrack. Kudos, Jeff. Also, the remix is pretty fantastic as well, and I can just imagine Yang duking it out with Junior or someone else to that second verse.
From Shadows
From Shadows
I was surprised when I saw that this one was extended. I thought the trailer version was awesome, and along with Mirror Mirror, was the deepest of all of the trailer songs. I had one issue with the extended version: the key change at the somewhat beginning. In the trailer version, just as Blake and Adam start kicking ass, the chorus kicks in as hell breaks loose. Now, it skips the chorus and goes straight to the "Born with no life" section, as I call it. I thought that transition was a bit rough. But after that, the song was awesome, especially the new verse.
I think the thing I like about this song is, despite the lyrics, the rage expressed in the song is so primal and it really gives us a lot of insight into how the Fauna are treated, and how Blake in particular may have been treated during her time as a young White Fang member. That's what separates these songs from everything else: they go deeper, which is awesome.
I saw people saying that this song was their least favorite, and I can somewhat understand why they think so, but I think this song is fantastic, both in the trailer and without it.
The Rest
Now, I'm going to admit that I've only given the rest of the soundtrack fleeting listens. Being someone who prefers minor-key songs that can lend themselves to either sheer action or an extremely emotional scene, I'll say that Gold is really good as an uplifting song, and I May Fall is really good too (it bothers me how it sometimes reminds me, from its tune, of I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas), and Wings is probably my favorite of the trio that I call "the rest" (Gold, I May Fall, and Wings).
That being said, I have one question: where are Weiss's themes? Ruby's got two themes, one of which has two renditions (three themes, if you count This Will be the Day, which I somewhat do), Yang's got a new theme, a remix of that theme with all the other themes, and a remix of just that original theme, and even Blake's got two renditions of her theme. Where's the love for our ice queen? I think Weiss is my favorite character just from her trailer, and I want to see more songs based on her (hopefully when she gets her own badass scene like Ruby and somewhat Blake, although Blake didn't get a new theme when she solo'd Roman and his goons before Sun showed up). Hopefully we get something (please, Jeff?).
The Soundtracks
I love the "villain theme".
Like "the rest", I gave the soundtracks only fleeting listens, and I'll say what stood out: first off, Roman's theme is pretty much the perfect villain theme, and I love it the more I listen to it. It just sounds so sinister, and whenever it comes up, I can't help but smile (I also like the fact that RWBY's got some good villains, as I personally like Torchwick and can't wait for Crimson [I know her name is Cinder but I still like to call her Crimson] to show up and start killing it [literally?]). Aside from that, any instance where we hear the Red Like Roses motiff is cool, especially when it's against MIrror Mirror, which is something heard quite a bit (at least three times, we've got Red Like Roses clashing with Mirror Mirror, which is pretty cool). I thought Jaune's theme while fighting/destroying the Ursa was good, and I liked the incorporation of This Will be the Day.
That piano segment is one of my favorite parts of the soundtrack.
Despite everything I've said above, there is one standout theme to me: the piano-centric music in the Stray. It starts out with an intially unfamiliar pattern, until you realize it's a soft and mellow version of the "born with no life, into subjugation" section of From Shadows, which I thought was amazingly brilliant. And then, it shifts into my favorite song: Mirror Mirror, as we get some insight into Weiss' character. That moment was really touching, and I absolutely adore the music accompanyment. We really get the sadness in Weiss' life personified with that piano music. And then Blake drops her bomb. The music changes to a new theme that we don't recognize as she runs away, stopping at the statue of the hunters overpowering the Grimm, and she answers the question being asked since her introduction, as the music transitions into an instrumental of Wings and ends. That entire piano section was amazing, and I am going to say right now that I am going to work day and night to play it myself. Also, shout out to the cool piano solo in Jaundice Pt. 2, which I will also be learning.
I think that about wraps it up for what I've got to say (and I've said a lot). It's my opinion on the music, and, again, I thought it was absolutely brilliant, despite any quips I've voiced. It is definitely worth picking up.
If you've read all of this without getting bored, congratulations. You've got a better attention span than I could ever hope to have Thank you, and good day!