Much prefer Majula and Firelink Shrine (DS1) to this game's hub in terms of music; boss fight music is great.
My spoiler-free impressions after 11 hours:
It's good, but it feels like the most "samey" Souls game yet to me. That may be in part due to having played Demon's through Bloodborne lots over the years but it doesn't feel like it's trying anything particularly specifically new or inventive. The first few areas/hours come off as less cohesive in comparison to Bloodborne IMO. That being said, the game still has great combat, a satisfying gameplay loop, and I think the difficulty is pretty spot on in terms of being challenging without being brutally aggravating. It feels a bit harder than Bloodborne, though the first few bosses aren't particularly challenging.
I agree with the sentiment that the areas and game get more interesting as you get into it, but my hype and enjoyment are more muted than Bloodborne and DS2's launches; your mileage may vary. I felt Bloodborne had a much more cohesive and tight first 10 hours, but again, just my experience with it. It's still a Souls game and I think most fans will enjoy it, but I may temper expectations a bit from expecting GOAT, etc. Naturally, take everything with a grain of salt as I haven't beat the game yet.