For The Throne (Music Inspired By The Hbo Series Game Of Thrones)

As an adult fantasy, Game of Thrones is uniquely situated to appeal to multiple demographics. Set aside the sex, violence, and dragons: the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryens all have their own distinct appeal, as do the Dothraki and Martells. While there have been many marketing tie-ins for Game of Thrones over the years, not to mention albums featuring the original score by Ramin Djawadi, it wasn't until halfway through the show's final season that GoT offered a collection of pop songs inspired by the blockbuster series. Overseen by producer Ricky Reed, For the Throne: Music Inspired by Game of Thrones often takes an elliptical journey to the iron throne. Most of the record seems only tangentially related to the epic, with neither the words nor music evoking Westeros. Instead, For the Throne glides along to a glassy, nocturnal rhythm that finds Reed trading upon his work with Jason Derulo. It's a sound that suits the Weeknd as well as it suits Maren Morris, but it gives the album a sound that's a bit too homogenous in its moodiness. This monochrome setting means that the songs that engage with Game of Thrones directly have the biggest impact, whether it's Joey Bada$$ referencing Starks, Targaryens, and Valyrian Steel on "Too Many Gods" or the National -- who previously performed GoT's iconic folk tune "The Rains of Castamere" for a soundtrack -- narrowing in on the show's unsettling essence on "Turn on Me." These moments are particularly welcome, especially since there aren't enough of them on a record that plays more like a cleverly curated, multipurpose playlist than an album inspired by the sprawling, imaginative Game of Thrones. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine