Whether you're a fan of the movies or not, the soundtrack for the third instalment of The Twilight Saga is easily the best so far. It hangs onto its indie cred with a number of big names, but isn't nearly as glum as its predecessors.

The soundtrack for Twilight was a low key, emo-friendly affair, with author Stephenie Meyer's favourite band Muse listed alongside Paramore and Linkin Park, while star Robert Pattinson even picked up his guitar and played a tune. At this stage, the producers didn't yet know the widespread phenomenon it would become, y'see. So, for round two, New Moon, producer Alexandre Patsavas aroused much intrigue and esteem from the indie world with names like Thom Yorke, Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear all taking part. It had some beautiful moments, but was more than a touch sullen and gloomy. With Eclipse, they've once again bagged some of the coolest names from the indie rock world, but this time there are names that bring a certain level of aggression and force to their music.

The likes of Vampire Weekend, Metric, The Bravery, and Fanfarlo keep the energy high with plenty of upbeat folk and electro-pop songs, but it's the angrier, attitude packed rock numbers that really stand out here. The Black Keys' characteristic blues rock provides a thumping beat and distortion aplenty on 'Chop and Change', while Alison Mosshart's creaking vocal oozes contempt on The Dead Weather's slow burning 'Rolling in on a Burning Tire'. The first new Florence and the Machine track since Lungs, 'Heavy In Your Arms' mixes pounding drums and ghostly backing vocals with typical Florence zeal.

Elsewhere, some interesting collaborations see Unkle's ambient electronics given a psychedelic vibe by The Black Angels, and Bat For Lashes lass Natasha Khan carries a duet with Beck with her soft, enchanting voice. Yes, there are still one or two misery-inducing tracks here, but 'My Love' is genuinely touching as Aussie singer Sia's quivering voice ambles amidst echoing piano and pious strings. And while Muse's epic stadium rock may, once again, only be here to keep the author happy, no doubt it will keep the punters happy too.

Twilight Saga completely aside, this is a well rounded collection of songs from some top class artists.