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Love, death, tyranny, oppression, injustice, rebellion and trying desperately to survive, all while still maintaining your humanity and integrity: these are just a few of the heavy themes touched on in the timely dystopian tale of The Hunger Games. Grammy Award-winning producer T-Bone Burnett has managed to successfully bring them all to life in the musical realm with Songs from District 12 and Beyond, the companion album to the soon-to-be-released blockbuster.

Suiting the high expectations of The Hunger Games series’ loyal fan base is a tough task to take on, but it is immediately obvious from the very first offering off the album that Burnett and all of the artists involved did not settle for pandering to the audience. Hunger Games fandom may be dominated by pre-teens whose musical taste lean to the Top 40 side, but Burnett and company put together a musically mature, yet lyrically raw collection of songs whose poignant prose touches on every aspect of the story.

First up to bat, bringing a haunting chorus of sopranos backed by sneering guitars and a militant drum beat that keeps you on edge, is ‘Abraham’s Daughter’ by alternative rock group Arcade Fire. The tune immediately sets the tone for the album, and thus, the series, as it is at once commanding and epic and an understated theme for the story’s heroine, who makes so many sacrifices for the ones she loves.

One of the more up-tempo tracks comes in the form of Kid Cudi’s ‘The Ruler and the Killer.’ It seems to be just shy of fitting in with the rest of the compilation, which is dominated by more subdued, old-time, acoustic folk. While it seems like it may be better suited in a spot on The Matrix‘s soundtrack, its uniqueness is the very thing that makes this song a perfect companion to the dystopian nature of the film. It is a breath of fresh air on an album that is largely ruled by a more melancholy sound. ‘The Ruler and the Killer’ is hard and sinister, and it packs an edge that evokes images of a conniving snake, orchestrating the Fall of Man. When you think about this tune as the theme for sadistic head gamemaker Seneca Crane or the quietly calculating President Snow, it adds an unnerving third dimension to these characters (and the Capitol) that we only get a hint at through Katniss’ limited perspective in the books.

Heading up the folk and Americana genre so representative of Katniss’s former Appalachia is Nashville breakout duo The Civil Wars, comprised of John Paul White and Joy Williams. Their sweeping duet will chill you to the bone in the second half of ‘Kingdom Come’, which is, as Williams calls it, “an homage to a survival song.” The Secret Sisters offer up a hopeful melody that echoes the vocal stylings of 1930s darling Judy Garland, while contemporary string band The Carolina Chocolate Drops open our ears to the style of old Appalachian hymns, telling the mournful tale of our heroine, Katniss, losing her father.

Surprisingly, perhaps the most effective contribution to this genre is Adam Levine’s (of Maroon 5 fame) ‘Come Away to the Water. His harmony with guest vocalist Rozzi Crane creates a haunting, beckoning call “to the slaughter.” It’s hard not to be mesmerized by the tune, penned from the perspective of The Capitol by Glen Hansard as the steady heartbeat of the drum and paired with the pacifying vocals that create almost a trance-like effect. Listening to the message behind the lyrics only makes the song that much more eerie.

Taylor Swift also contributes her signature catchy melodies and song writing skills with “Eyes Open,” a song that is lyrically reminiscent of Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move.” The song lacks the indie-folk feel of the majority of the album and thus may be a bit jarring at first, but it carries a teenager’s perspective and soul, and its message about guarding your heart in a world where everything is set against you will not only resonate with fans of the books (and card carrying members of “Team Katniss”) but also with anyone out there who, like Katniss, was forced to grow up a bit too quickly.

This album does more than just make for appeasing background music to the end credits of a movie. The story and world of The Hunger Games, with all its weighty themes, internal struggles, and thought-provoking and all-too-real scenarios, is a story about fight or flight and finding your voice in a world bent on suppressing it. I’s a story that begs to be put into song. Which, when you think about it, (without giving too much away) is an act of rebellion all its own.

You can hit the iTunes or Amazon store to grab your copy!