Various Artists: True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 3

true blood, soundtrackVarious Artists: True Blood: Music From The HBO Original Series Volume 3
I do not watch a whole lot of television but when I do, I certainly do not watch True Blood. It is my understanding that the show is about vampires and humans living together in a southern town. Surprisingly enough that simple synopsis is all that is really needed to understand the show’s soundtrack.
I saw that is all you need to know because the soundtrack is populated mainly by dark songs that have a vague southern blues feel to them. Classic blues artists like Gil Scott Heron and Slim Harpo are put up against new blues and americana artists like Karen Elson, Jakob Dylan, and Jace Everett. Even bands that are not typically blues groups like The Heavy whip out songs steeped in Americana. Their track “And When I Die” stand out as one of the best on the album with their horn section playing a very understated role to give the song a stripped down, raw feel.
Perhaps the best song on the album comes from Blackroc, the collaboration between The Black Keys and various hip hop artists. The track is called “What You Do To Me” and features M.O.P., Jim Jones, and Nicole Wray. M.O.P. particularly sounds great on the track, completely blowing up the laidback blues beat with their in-your-face style.
The Blackroc song stands out as the only track to really feature a hip hop vibe. Most of the album is content to balance between Americana and blues with a little country mixed in. The album creates a clear pathos that gives the listener an idea of what the show must be like. Since that is the point of a soundtrack, I would say True Blood Volume 3 is a pretty good soundtrack.
Rating: 8.5/10
MP3: Blackroc “What You Do To Me”
Buy: iTunes

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