Post #14: LOUDER!!! (Lea Michele Album)

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LOUDER

So I come to you today with a review of Lea Michele’s (of Glee fame) debut album: “Louder”.

With the end of the hit fox comedy-drama Glee on the Horizon, (series co-creator Ryan Murphy has confirmed that the show’s next season [season 6] will be its last), it seems as though Lea Michele is preparing to move on past the role of Rachel Berry which has gained her so much fame with a move into a solo career. Her album "Louder" comes out on iTunes March 3rd.

Has anyone actually ever been bullied like this? I feel like this
unfairly raised my standards of being bullied forever.
Being shoved in the hallway seems like child's play in comparison.

1. CANNONBALL

Jumping right into it, the leading track was also the album's debut single, titled "Cannonball". When the song released December 10, 2013 I had mixed thoughts about it, but let's start with the good. For starters, Lea Michele has a PHENOMENAL voice. I mean like wow; this girl can sing like you can't believe. Damn. Her voice is powerful and deep. The song starts off pretty small, and builds itself up into this much bigger entity. Definitely worth a good listen. It's a pretty slow song, but it certainly doesn't take away from the track at all.

My biggest complaint with this song is the lyrics. Lines like "I'll fly like a cannonball" get me irked. While I'm sure the intentions are pure, I don't feel like I necessarily would want to be compared to a cannonball. I mean yea, they are fast, powerful, and I suppose they metaphorically represent flying high into the sky and stuff like that...

...But then they fall and usually cause lots of pain and destruction.

So maybe its not the best simile. And like seriously guys; cannonballs are not graceful or happy in any way whatsoever. I would never use a cannonball as an analogy for breaking free. Those things are super freaking dangerous. If a cannonball ever enters your field of vision, there are only two appropriate thought processes;

A) "I'm about to die"
-or-
B) "Why am I watching the History Channel?"

That being said, it is still a really enjoyable song, and definitely worth a listen.

2. ON MY WAY

So the second song is really amazing; personally my favorite. Contrary to "Cannonball", the second track has a lot more of a pop vibe to it. In this song about a boy she knows she should stay away from, the lyrics are really great. A staple of the lyrics are the repeated references to drunk driving. The song compares her falling in love with this boy to drunk driving; she knows it is a bad idea and that she shouldn't do it, but she can't help herself.

I'm pretty sure there is an alcohol reference almost every verse, and M.A.D.D. will probably have a fit about the song, but I feel like it really drives the point of the song home. I find the alcohol references an interesting choice for Lea specifically, seeing as Cory Monteith, her partner on-and-off screen (Monteith played Rachel Berry's boyfriend, Finn Hudson, on Glee), passed away suddenly this past July from after a long battle with substance abuse involving a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol. As interesting as her decision is, I know for a fact that this is not the last time we see Monteith's influence on the album.

3. BURN WITH YOU 

..and "Speak of the devil" (It's a phrase. No offense intended towards Monteith. R.I.P.), the very next song is all about Cory Monteith. The song is about a girl vowing to spend her time with a troubled man even if requires burning in hell with him, "I don't wanna go to heaven, if you're going to hell. I will burn with you.".Thats some hardcore commitment right there. She goes on to talk about how she will do anything for this boy, and without him, nothing is worth doing. 

Again, the whole thing seems a little eerie considering her partner just passed away from a troubled lifestyle (Monteith had battled with drugs since he was 12, and would enter rehabilitation multiple times until his death at 31). 

But in respect to the music, its a really strong song. Michele's voice is absolutely amazing, and it works really well in this track. This slow song is produced in such a way where it doesn't really seem like a slow song. Think "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!NK; not a fast song, but powerful enough where the delivery doesn't seem all that slow. Not my favorite, but it's pretty good.

4. BATTLEFIELD 

So by this point, you can probably tell that this is not a happy album. This next song is really freaking sad and emotional. It's all about a girl in a broken relationship with a guy, and how it should end. The lyrics are pretty poetic. The verses are really well done, and I liked the fact that the song is put together very simply. It highlights Michele's voice by making it the focal point of the song. The choruses are a little bit repetitive, (but what choruses aren't right?) and maybe it's just the fact that they are so close in succession that it seems exceedingly repetitive.

5. YOU'RE MINE

The song is pretty generic (In comparison that is). The rest of the album's lyrics just blow this song out of the water. But regardless of how the lyrics pale in comparison, its still a pretty good song. The song is about how a girl becomes connected on such a deep personal level with a boy, to the point where they become a part of one another. It's really just a romantic song between a man and a woman. Nothing incredibly complex, but with that simplicity comes a nice enjoyable song.

So I went to find this specific .gif for this section
because I felt it fit, and in the process I found
enough romantic .gif's of Michele and Monteith
on Glee to populate  a small country. It
was really freaking sad. I don't encourage it.
Not unless you have a box of tissues nearby.

It probably helps that Lea Michele just can't sing a song badly. I'm convinced. It just doesn't happen. They may not all be amazing, but I'm pretty sure if she were to cover a Slipknot song, her voice would still emotionally move you to the verge of tears.

But now time-out (Tory's time to shine). I'm 99% sure that after doing a couple of google searches, that I'm essentially the only one that picked up the relatively obvious sampling of Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice" from the James Bond Movie of the same name. I'm not sure how the movie fits with the song, but take a listen and tell me if I'm crazy anyway. Look for it 1:15 into "You're Mine".

Okay. Now enough with what could just be a crazy conspiracy of mine (Though I thoroughly doubt it.). 

6. THOUSAND NEEDLES

Im pretty sure someone wrote an amazing poem, and then was like "You know what would make this already really good poem even better, some really freaking sad music", and thus "Thousand Needles" was born. The lyrics in this song are absolutely phenomenal, and the music only adds to it. The only issue I have with this song is that it seems like her voice is almost TOO good for this song. Her voice is so powerful it almost seems overbearing at times. It seems like she's trying to make this song more than what it is. While it is certainly a good song, I feel as though this song should have been a quiet and softer piece, as opposed to the powerful, belted song that Michele makes it out to be. 

7. LOUDER

Okay so maybe I lied. Remember when I said "On My Way" was my favorite? That wasn't entirely true. This title track is absolutely amazing. While not as emotionally charged as the other songs on the album, this song is the perfect blend of Michele's amazing voice with a bubble-gum pop style. I really love this song. Really; Way more than I should. The lyrics are a lot more pop oriented than the rest of the album, and this song provides some uplifting relief to a dismally sad album (In a good way) up to this point. This song is a great upbeat tune. Definitely listen.

8. CUE THE RAIN

Now that our spirits have been thoroughly lifted, Lea Michele wastes no time in dragging them back to the pits of despair they were in prior to "Louder". This tear-jerker is a song about trying to get over a loved one. In my opinion, it seems like something that Demi Lovato would have sung, but thats just my opinions. I can't speak for certain as to whether or not this song is a direct reference to Monteith, it wouldn't be terribly shocking considering all things involved.While there's not much that sets this song apart from the others, it in no way is a bad song. It's just not AS great. #backhandedcompliment

9. DON'T LET GO

This is another upbeat song. A really happy-feeling song about what sounds like young love. Similar to "Louder", this song may even more "Pop-esque" than the title track. This seems like the kind of song that should be played during the part of the romantic comedy when the shy guy finally gets the beautiful girl, and as they drive off into the sunset; the credits start to roll. You know; that kind of warm fuzzy feeling. It really is an enjoyable song, and Michele's voice is not the most prominent factor, which is a nice change. That being said, her vocals are still amazing, but all the different parts of the song really blend more equally than they do over the course of the rest of the album. My biggest issue with this song is that opposed to having a real ending, it just fades out, which in my opinion is pretty lame.

10. EMPTY HANDED

This is another one of those songs that is just really poetic. It seems like it belongs on one of those super-emotional Christina Perri albums.

Wait, what's that? Christina Perri DID co-write this song? Oh. Well. Hmm.

The "Jar of Hearts" singer lent some of her incredible passion to Lea Michele for this song (not she needs it), and it definitely shows. The song features the combination of a heavy piano part that Perri's hits all feature, and a strong acoustic guitar. If Perri had put this song on her album, no one would have batted an eye. The slow song blossoms into a contemporary piece that is a great listen. The lyrics in this song are really great as well. It depicts a love where...well to be honest I'm struggling to follow this one, I can't tell who's at fault here, but it uses a lot of great analogies! So it must have a really deep meaning!

11. IF YOU SAY SO

S.O.S.; take my advice and do NOT listen to this song without a box of tissues within reach. Holy Cannoli this a REALLY sad song. This song is (according to the lyrics) about the last words a boy said to a girl, which were "If You Say So". I feel like this is the horror movie that opens with the title "Based on a True Story"; and just the fact that this tragedy is real makes it that much more moving. 

Supposedly Monteith's last words to Michele, it really strains at your heart to hear Michele pour her heart out to her late boyfriend. The last verse to me is especially sad, just because of the way the whole song comes together and she talks about how losing him has effected her and how she struggles to cope with the reality that he is no longer with her. Co-Written by Sia (Titanium, Wild Ones), this song makes me want to cry. A lot. Like buckets. This is a perfect ending to a great album.

CONCLUSION

Here's how I see this album;

(For those of you that get this reference,

hats off to you.)

This is a great album, just not one for those looking to listen to ambient music in the background. This contemporary album requires (and DEMANDS) complete emotional investment for it to have the desired effect. This album really shows Lea Michele's true talent as a performer, and hopefully will pave her way towards success that extends beyond her time as Glee's Rachel Berry.

And simply because it seems as though there is an overwhelming aura of negativity of surrounding Lea Michele across this post;

SMILES!!!!!

"Louder" hits iTunes on March 3rd, but you can preview the whole album for free from the iTunes store below!


iTunes

Amazon

Also, for those of you residing in the Long Island Area, this THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5TH  Lea Michele will be signing copies of her new album at the Smith Haven Mall! Check out the details here!

Alright guys! Thanks for reading this review of  "Louder", and be sure to look out for next week's review of Chris Wallace's "Push Rewind"!

In the meantime enjoy this .gif of Captain Smooth himself!

Did you listen to "Louder"? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!!!