NHL 08 Soundtrack Review

I enjoy video games quite a bit, as most of you can probably tell. I also enjoy listening to music, which is why this blog is here in the first place. So when music and video games combine into one, it’s a little bit of a treat for me. Sometimes, that is. Songs featured in video games are notoriously bad, but you sometimes find a diamond in the rough. Most of the stuff featured in games are from unknown bands, itching to get some exposure, and willing to lend their song for cheap. Without further ado, here is my take on the music featured in the game NHL 08:

Airbourne – “Stand Up For Rock ‘N Roll“
Is that AC/DC I hear? Naw, it’s just some cheap ripoff who thinks they can pinpoint their sound and make money off of it. I’m sorry, but this song is just not my cup of tea. I’m not some kind of pansy, but to me it just feels like they threw in this song into the soundtrack just so they could have a “hard rock” song to play during the actual game. Yawn, next please.

Wolfmen – “Jackie Says“
Catchy tune, but that’s pretty much it. Some very addictive lyrics and beat, but gets tiresome after a while. It gets quite repetitive, but it’s short so you can’t really complain. I’m not sure what I make out of this song.

Jupiter One – “Turn Up The Radio“
Sounds like Hot Hot Heat, except replace the band with violins and a keyboard drum set. Almost sounds like a filler song to me, but it’s probably the best from this band. It’s probably not even worth checking out because I’m sick of their sound already.

Manchester Orchestra – “Wolves At Night“
At first, I absolutely loved this song, and I still do, just not with as much passion. It’s new and fresh with some solid lyrics and beat. I love the keyboard and guitar combo. A catchy chorus makes this song one of the best in the game.

Datarock – “Fa Fa Fa“
A fun, light sounding song with little creativity. It’s a mix of disco/funk rock. It’s pretty catchy, and very easy to sing along to (with chorus lyrics of “Fa fa fa, fa fa fa fa fa” how can it be hard). Unfortunately, this song will get left in the dust, and probably be vaguely remembered as “that ‘Fa Fa’ song”.

Dustin Kensrue – “I Knew You Before“
I’m not a fan of the country sound, but I absolutely love this song. Dustin Kensrue is in the band “Thrice”, and I guess this is his solo effort. I must say, I like this song a lot better than the stuff he does with Thrice. I’m not quite sure what sets it apart, but to me it seems like it’s very well-written and from the heart. It’s clearly about a girl he knew who, to put it brashly, became a whore. He ends up forgiving her at the end, and taking her in. The lyrics draw you in, and it’s a generally catchy song.

Pop Levi – “Sugar Assault Me Now“
What a breath of fresh air. This song is poppy, quick and very unique sounding. It will take a few listens to get into, but you will be hooked. The way he fits his voice in with the beat, and the abnormal backing vocals provide a fantastic new sound that I have never heard before.

The View – “Comin’ Down“
This singer’s voice annoys me. Plain and simple. And since a singer is kind of key in a song, it ruins it for me. It’s a very boring song in general with a stupid whistle throughout the course. Not a fan of this one.

The Ponys – “Double Vision“
There’s a neat baseline in this song, but that’s about it. Well, I shouldn’t say that. The song is a bit catchy, but again, it’s mainly due to the baseline. It’s pretty boring otherwise.

Luna Halo – “Kings & Queens“
Tacky singer, tacky chorus, tacky song. He sounds like Tom Petty with a bubble in his throat. Music-wise, it’s a terrible song as well. It’s one of those songs that try to get you hooked with a somewhat catchy chorus that’s easy to sing along to, with a “C’mon” here and a “C’mon” there, but I’m not buying it. Don’t waste your time with this one folks.

Mando Diao – “The Wildfire (If It Were True)“
It has a very unique tempo and it’s a pretty unique song in general. The lyrics may suck, but it really doesn’t play a major role in the song, it’s how he sings it. It’s quite up-tempo and quick, giving it the unique sound. The instrumentals are very good, they even managed to sneak a horn into the chorus, but it works very well with the guitars which remain quiet for most of the song.

Scanners – “Raw“
I’m not a big fan of girl singers to start with, especially ones that scream for most of the song. That’s the case with this one. Guitars are rough and the use of the synthesizer add elements to the song, making it pretty good, but the vocals just don’t cut it for me.

The Black Keys – “Just Got To Be“
I actually don’t mind this song. it’s not something I would listen to on a daily basis, but it’s good. The blues influence is prominent throughout the song, especially in the vocals. I actually would recommend this song to people, just to check it out at least. It’s not going to blow your socks off, but it’s a good song nonetheless.

Santogold – “L.E.S Artistes“
I’ve never heard anything from this artist before, but she sure is creative if I can base my judgment off of just one song. You’re almost left thinking “Damn, that was so good, yet so simple, why couldn’t I have thought of this song!” Of course I could never write a song, but that’s just the feeling I got. She has a good voice, especially for the song, and I definitely recommend it.

Anberlin – “A Whisper & a Clamor“
This song is the epitome of mediocre. You can probably listen to it 5 or 6 times without shooting yourself, but that’s not what we want in a song, now is it? Very poppish, with the “echoey vocals”. Please give us something new, guys!

Bayside – “The Walking Wounded“
Ever wanted to hear a rock song stop and try to sound like it’s from the 1930s, and then pick back up in all of it’s “Fall Out Boy”-like greatness? Well I sure didn’t, but in case you may want to…

Disco Ensemble – “This Is My Head Exploding“
What an apt title. That is exactly what happened to my head upon listening to this song. Good thing I kept a gun near by, but I wouldn’t need it. The singer’s voice alone could explode your brain if played at high levels.

Enter Shikari – “Sorry, You’re Not A Winner“
…and neither is this song. Since when did My Chemical Romance hire the screaming guy from Alexisonfire? And when did they start using a synthesizer? What an awful combo of instruments and singing. Indeed these guys are not winners, they are losers.

Mooney Suzuki – “99%“
Stupid band name makes stupid song, where have we heard that before? I don’t listen to music for comedy relief Mr. Suzuki, I’m very sorry. Back to the drawing board.

Paramore – “Misery Business“
The only reason this song is on the soundtrack for this game is because they were trying not to be sexist. I understand the logic behind that, but the reality is that there are very few rock bands (the genre the game was shooting for) that have female singers. When you go searching for them, you get quality like this shit. Sorry for being a little harsh, but that’s just how I feel about it.

PlayRadioPlay! – “Compliment Each Other Like Colors“
I could really rip into this song. It’s cheesy, it’s soft, it’s historically bad. The lyrics are downright dumb, just look at the title. Something is holding me back though. Maybe I’m making it sound worse in my head than it is, but I definitely see nothing special in this song.

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