Post #17: G I R L!!! (Pharrell Williams Album)

If you haven't already, be sure to check out last week's review of Chris Wallace's album, Push Rewind here!

So not nearly as long of an absence from the blog this time around. It's just that I have been so anxious to review Pharrell Williams' new album, G I R L!

Pharrell Williams' sophomore album released on March 4th, 2014. Pharrell has been a industry leading producer for some time now. He has produced quite a few Grammy nominated albums such as Magna Carta Holy Grail (Jay-Z), Justified (Winner - Pop Vocal Album) (Justin Timberlake), and Channel Orange (Frank Ocean). He had only moderate success as a solo performer with his debut album, In My Mind, in 2006. It was not until this past summer of 2013 that Pharrell would see his "Solo" career take off. I use the term "Solo" very lightly, simply because he was featured artists on both of the songs that skyrocketed his success to a new level.

On one hand, he was a featured artist on Robin Thicke's summertime smash hit, Blurred Lines, where he provided a few vocals and an "Ooh!" every 8 beats. The song - which he also produced  - was an incredible success and would hold the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks. This became the longest streak of not only 2013, but also the entire 2010's decade so far. It broke the record for fastest sale of 5 million digital copies by doing so in 22 weeks. It broke the record for most radio audience impressions by reaching 219.8 million people by the time it had been #1 for 9 weeks. I could go on and on about all the incredible records it broke to tell you about how big of a song it was, but let's be serious here; I don't have to remind you of how often you heard Blurred Lines over the summer. Pharrell's inclusion put his name back on the map as a performer.

If that wasn't a big enough hit for the Grammy winner, he was also a featured artist on the 2014 Record of the Year, Daft Punk's Get Lucky. The song peaked at #2 over the summer of 2013 (failing to dethrone Blurred Lines) and was a critically acclaimed hit. The song featured Pharrell almost exclusively on vocals, and this truly brought his "Solo" career back into reality. The song was absolutely one of, if not THE, song of the summer, and made Pharrell a hot talent in the music industry.


Now nearly eight months since he was champion of the charts over the summer, Pharrell has released his second solo album G I R L  as an ode to women everywhere. 

1. MARILYN MONROE

The opening song on the album is a real doozey (In a good way.) The heavy Pop/R&B fusion with a string section is awesome. The song starts off pretty simple, with more parts being added as time goes by until its this very full and fun piece. The song is the first of many tributes to women on the album which is largely a homage to the women in his life, who “were (his) muse” over the course of his two decade long career.

2. BRAND NEW (FEAT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE)
So any of you that have watched Purple Opinions know that I am a HUGE Justin Timberlake fan. His album The 20/20 Experience (Part 1 of 2) is absolutely my favorite album ever (Check our review of said album here!) He's just so freaking awesome that I "can't even" (Whatever that means).

Timberlake doesn't fail to deliver on this great collaboration. The thing I find the most interesting about this upbeat song is that for once in his life, Timberlake provides some of the the lower harmonies, as opposed to the higher falsetto melodies. While he does provide some of those too, when the two R&B artists sing in harmony, it feels weird to hear JT on the lower part sometimes. The fun beat is another ode to women and how they make them feel amazing. 

3. HUNTER
I'm still working out how I feel about this song. Its good, but I feel like it is just waiting to expand into something bigger. It keeps a very simplistic guitar repetition throughout the entire song. And while the repetition is good, the whole song just seems to be lacking something. Idk.

4. GUSH
This song should come with its own parental warning. I feel nasty just listening to it. Its a great song, it's just really dirty. Lyrics like "But I don't wanna mislead you. Tonight I think I wanna be dirty girl." make me very uncomfortable. This is like watching a sex scene in a movie. By yourself, it's like "NBD Bro", but if you're with other people, you'd rather die than sit through another second of the awkwardness. I feel like this song is similar in both content and style to Justin Timberlake's Strawberry Bubblegum. 

5. HAPPY
This song is so darn catchy that I can't even put it into words. The lead single off the album, Happy, was featured on the Soundtrack for Despicable Me 2 and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song. It likely would have won in any other year, but it was up against Frozen's, Let it Go. And let's be serious; It's freaking Frozen. (You can read our review of Disney's Frozen here!) The song has become something of a cultural phenomenon, having been at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for the past four weeks, and stuck in my head for even longer. Just a really awesome and catchy tune, this song is the highlight of the album.

So while the short video is good, the 24 hour music video is even better. Check out 24hoursofHappy.com for 24 hours of the song. The video features random people (and even a few celebrities) all just dancing along to the 2014 smash hit. My personal favorite is this guy,

You can't be taught this kind of swag.

Look for the coolest park ranger in the world at 5:24am on 24hoursofHapppy.com

6. COME AND GET IT BAE (FEAT. MILEY CYRUS)
I really don't like Miley Cyrus. I know that isn't exactly a popular opinion, but its my Purple Opinion. That being said, this song is awesome. Miley's voice fits perfectly in this track, and really brings the piece together. Her vocals provide great contrast to Pharrell's airy falsetto. The great cultural reference with "Bae" is just icing on the cake.

7. GUST OF WIND (FEAT. DAFT PUNK)
I love this song. I mean like REALLY love this song. It has been out for less than a month, and I've already listened to it over 400 times. If it isn't in my top 10 most played in the next week or two, I'll be shocked. Featuring his fellow collaborators on Get Lucky and Lose Yourself to Dance, Pharrell calls on his French robot friends, Daft Punk, for this awesome song. 

It features just same amount of disco-esque guitar mixed with modern pop that made Get Lucky such a huge success. The addition of a huge string section just puts it over the top, and the techno-robot vocals from Daft Punk provide one of the coolest choruses ever. This song is absolutely my favorite on the album, and I'm praying that it gets released as a single. I would like to bet it will, considering Pharrell said that the song was his persona; favorite when speaking at a Google-Hangout listening party. (Yea. I watch those. Don't judge.)

8. LOST QUEEN
An interesting follow up to such a production heavy track. Where Gust of Wind is a really complex song, Lost Queen is an almost tribal tune for the first part of the song. After the awkward ambient ocean noises halfway through the song, the "hidden" track Freq (Frequency - EQ; producer humor I guess?), is introduced. A much more sensual tune, the song features Jojo and Leah Labelle as a collaborators. The song is stylistically similar to Gush, though not nearly as upbeat.

9. KNOW WHO YOU ARE (FEAT. ALICIA KEYS)
This song features the one and only Alicia Keys as a featured artist, and she freakin kills it (as usual). The song is similar to Come and Get it Bae, but less upbeat, and Keys' vocals are 8000 times better than Miley's (#sorrynotsorry). I love Keys, and she is so prominent on this song that if you told me that this was an Alicia Keys song featuring Pharrell Williams, I'd probably believe you. 

10. IT GIRL
This song can best be described as the song that plays while the credits are rolling at the end of the movie. The song is pretty simplistic, nothing very thought provoking or moving. The song is a semi-upbeat sorta contemporary tune that ends the album on a good note. Usually songs that fade out at the end really irk me, but it seems fitting at the end of an album like this. A nice, chill way to finish G I R L.

CONCLUSION
This album is pretty darn good. I know it's only March, but this could be a serious contender for pop album of the year. While it certainly has plenty of short comings, it is definitely an incredible sophomore album from someone who hasn't released a solo effort in over almost a decade. This album is a really fun album to enjoy, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't at least crack a smile while listening.

Get G I R L on iTunes here!

And if the music thing doesn't pan out, he can always fall
back on his roast beef sandwiches.

Be sure to look out for our next post, where we'll be reviewing Karmin's debut album, Pulses!!!

Post #16: "PUSH REWIND"!!! (Chris Wallace Album)

Told you we'd be back! If you didn't read last week's review of Seth MacFarlane's "A Million Ways to Die in The West", check that out here.

But today is all about the former The White Tie Affair frontman, Chris Wallace!

Chris Wallace's debut solo album, "Push Rewind" comes out today on September 4th, 2012, and we couldn't be more-

Wait what.

YES! You read that correctly! "Push Rewind" was actually released a year and a half ago! For reasons mostly unknown, the album is being re-released a year and a half later with some bonus content. The album was pulled from iTunes sometime at the end of 2013, and was released again on March 4th with some added bonus content. The only noteworthy thing I can find that might have something to do with the unexplained re-release, is that there are a handful of online news sources that reported ThinkSay Records (Wallace's record label) was signed to Caroline Distribution. So my only guess is that the new distributor wanted to profit from the album.

But thats really not why we're here is it?

Of course not! We're here to talk about what's ON the album. So let's not delay any further!

1. PUSH REWIND (REMEMBER WHEN)
So the opening track, which doubles as the title track, was ALSO the debut single from Wallace! The song released as a single on June 12th 2012, so it's a tad dated to say the least. (To put that in perspective, the #1 song in the country at the time was Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know".)

This is one of my favorite songs on the album. The song is pretty straightforward, and it has a strong pop-rock vibe to it.  It follows the oh-too-common story of a boy begging a girl for another chance, and how he wishes that they could rewind to a simpler time of young love. Wallace's voice fits well in the song; it has just the right blend of pop-rock yell and teen-heartthrob swoon. Not a bad combination to have. (Think Hayley Williams of Paramore mixed with Austin Mahone.) 

The track is just a really fun song for a pretty "downer" topic, and I love that. Most of the time when we see songs about people that are upset, they are slow and depressing (I.E. "When I Was Your Man", "Say Something", etc.) This song is upbeat and fun to listen to! It's pretty freakin' awesome! Great opening to an album.

2. KEEP ME CRAZY
"Keep Me Crazy", the second track, is a fun pop song. No two ways about it. The lyrics are pretty boring. Lots of cliches. He talks about how a girl is driving him crazy. Yawn. Im already bored.

This music video has some pretty freaky parts.
Like something out of a horror movie if taken out of context.

To put it plainly, its NOT a bad song; its just boring. The song isn't all that different than "Push Rewind", and I feel like I'm just listening to the same song twice. That being said, if you aren't listening to the whole album, and only heard this song, you'd likely think this is a great pop tune. Not my favorite, but definitely enjoyable.

3. DON'T MIND IF I DO
Okay, now this album is just silly. I'm pretty sure this is the same song for a third time. While full of fun beats, the song is pretty tame. Granted; this IS my favorite song on the album, mainly because of its cliche,romantic, and super generic lyrics. . In it's defense, its a little slower than the other two, and not as much of a party tune. I don't know how to describe this song. Its like the previous two, just not as upbeat and dancey. Take a listen, tell me what you think;

4. HURRICANE
And for the fourth time in a row, we see the same song. This album is really tired at this point. I mean, me personally, I love the super-bubblegum pop sound of this song, but I just feel like I've listened to the same song four times. Now if you we're to put this in the middle of Summer-Party playlist; forget about it. I'd be on my feet signing along at the top of my lungs. Still, this album needs a breath of fresh air.

Kudos to the person who couldn't even

get the song's name correct.

5. BEST MISTAKE

So this song isn't as similar to the others. It's still a very pop-y song, but with a heavy acoustic backing, it doesn't feel as overproduced. It's a much slower track, but doesn't feel drawn out. It's just a very plain and happy song. The material is old - Pleading with a girl that he loves - but at this point in the album, that seems like it is to be expected.

6. I'LL BE THERE

This album is not looking good. I can't even force myself to keep going because all of the songs are the exact same thing. While this song is a much slower track, I don't need to hear about Chris Wallace's girl problems anymore. This whole thing just seems very whiny. "I'll Be There" is a much more emotional piece that almost seems anthem-y at points, but it uses so many cliches that I feel as though I'm going to vomit. 

7. TIME BOMB (WALK AWAY)

Okay so I don't hate this song. It is just fun enough where I don't feel like I'm going to rip my hair out from hearing the same song for the 7th time. The piece is put together really well and doesn't feel as generic as the others. Not to mention that this song goes off from the typical "BABY I LOVE YOU. YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING." storyline that we've grown so used to. This song is actually Wallace pleading for a girl to leave him. (It's not nearly as cold-hearted as it sounds.) Definitely one of the better songs on the album.

8. INVINCIBLE

YAY! I'm pretty sure this song doesn't have anything to do with a girl! I never thought this day would come! This pop-anthem as just as many cliches as the other songs, but now that it's not just Wallace whining about the girl of his dreams for 4 minutes, you don't really notice it. This song has a much more real feel to it, and less like one of the fantasies that Wallace sings about.

9. READY TO FALL

WHOA. This song isn't really a pop song. That's a first. Another dramatic turn away from the first half of the album, this slow piano ballad is pretty emotional. And while the contrast is certainly appreciated, by this point I'm so tired of hearing about Wallace' s girl problems, a lot of the intended sentiment is gone. The lyrics are once again super cheesy; any artist that uses "Na, Na, Na, Na, Na" to fill a lyrical gap is dead to me. Still probably one of the better songs on the album though.

10. DO IT ALL AGAIN

This anthem is a really strong finish for a sub-par album. The song is musically different from most of the other tracks, and end the album on a high note. The rock-tinge to the pop song is a nice touch. Wallace's vocals sound right on this track, and less pop-y than they do the rest of the album. He seems to have a much more rock-oriented voice. (Well duh Tory, The White Tie Affair was a pop-rock band. I like the diversity of this song, as it seems like a big melting pot of all the songs on the album.

CONCLUSION

"Push Rewind" was pretty weak. I mean, if you're a 14 year old girl with the musical taste of a sponge (don't question my analogies), this album is probably right up your alley. It had its strong points, but it was like finding a diamond in the rough; when this album had a peak, it was always being undermined by numerous annoyances, such as repetitive lyrics and subject matter. The album was a pretty typical pop album, but doesn't really have much else going for it.

 

You guys can check out the album on iTunes HERE

Did you listen to "Push Rewind"?

Leave your thoughts on the album in the comment section below!

Don't stray to far away from the blog! Next time, we'll be reviewing Pharrell Williams' new album "G I R L"!

Post #15: "A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST"!!! (Seth MacFarlane Novel)

Hey folks! So this past Tuesday evening, I started (and finished) reading the brand new novel by Seth MacFarlane, "A Million Ways To Die In The West"!

The novel, which is based off of Seth MacFarlane's upcoming comedy of the same name, was just released yesterday, so I decided to give it a read*.

*-Just a little bit of a pre-face, I don't DO books. Not to say I don't like reading or can't read, I actually read quite a bit! It's just that my reading material is usually in the form of an article or essay. I rarely find myself engrossed into longer stories, so finding even a short novel that I am interested in - especially to the point where I read the whole thing in one night - is quite the event!

The story follows local sheep farmer (and coward), Albert Stark, and his life in The West (Southern Arizona) in 1882. As far as Albert is concerned, "Everything out here that's not you, wants to kill you.", and for the most part he's right. Each day in the small town of Old Stump and all across the Western Frontier, people die as a result of anything from gun fights, bar brawls, and even the doctor. The list of terrible things about Albert's life in The West is endless, but is topped off when Albert's longtime girlfriend Louise dumps him for the owner of the local moustachery, Foy Ellison. Now Albert must find the courage to win her back, with the help of the new-girl in town, Anna Barnes.

Now before you get the idea that this is a heartfelt tale of courage and finding one's self (which in fairness, it TECHNICALLY is), don't be swayed to the wrong idea. This is a slapstick comedy. I couldn't contain my laughter whilst reading this book. I would get hardly a page before I'd lean my head back howling in laughter at yet another crude sex joke. So if raunchy humor is not your cup of tea, AVOID THIS BOOK. This novel is also chock full of offensive humor. I'll save you the pain of any examples, but just know that this is not the book you recommend to family.

However, if you're a fan of MacFarlane's "Family Guy", and/or his 2012 comedy "Ted", you are sure to love this book. While not the most intellectual and thought provoking read, it follows MacFarlane's classic style of 8000 jokes a minute. It is worth noting that the book is adapted from (an upcoming) film, and not the other way around as is in most cases. The plot is much better framed for film, and the novel lacks vivid, descriptive detail which would give the reader a better experience. There is little character development other than the two protagonists, and the plot has points where it seems incredibly rushed, but as stated earlier; this is not a book for intellectual thought. If anything, I would highly recommend watching the trailer prior to reading the book, just from experience. To me this helped paint a better picture of what was going on (Or don't. I only know that I did and enjoyed it. Maybe it's EVEN BETTER if you don't! I don't know. Someone let me know if you do.).

So overall, "A Million Ways To Die In The West" is certainly a fun, crude, and enjoyable read. MacFarlane has a knack for comedy, and it definitely translates over to his literature. My biggest complaint with this book is it's length. I was able to breeze through this novel in a single evening. Even though I was so into that it I couldn't put it down, I wish it hadn't ended so quickly. Also, as stated earlier; the descriptive detail leaves something to be desired. All in all though, I encourage you to read the book. Besides, even if you don't enjoy it, you can still walk into the theater on May 30th, and boast about how you already know what happens like the hipster you are. 

Did you read "A Million Ways To Die In The West"? Let us know what you thought of the novel below! 

The book can be found here;
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks
Google Books

Finally, be sure to check out the film (starring Seth MacFarlane himself in the lead role) on May 30th!

Check out this past Friday's review of Lea Michele's debut album "LOUDER", here!

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

Hey there folks! Believe it or not, this blog isn’t quite dead yet! We hope to keep it going although Purple Opinions on YouTube has ceased production.

If you haven't read Louis's review of "The Lego Movie" from this past Wednesday, you can check that out here.

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!!!