Friday, March 14, 2014

Lea Michele - Louder [review]

confession #1:
I watch Glee.

confession #2 :
I like it, though the story now is crap and waaaay too many new faces. Not cool.


So when I heard that Lea was recording her debut album I was super stoked about this, simply because her voice is just something unbelievable.
With the sudden death of Cory Monteith everyone was expecting from Lea at least one song about her fiancé, but no one was expecting a whole album dedicated to their love.

"It's more than just an album to me,it's a piece of my life that I'm so glad is here for me to have for the rest of my life. Now that it's coming out, it's unbelievable." - Lea Michelle. 
Lea Michelle - Louder (2014)



1) Cannonball

Co-written by Sia and produced by Stargate, "Cannonball" is Michele's lead single, and for good reason. It's an anthemic pop song about overcoming obstacles and rising above set to a nice, mid-tempo beat. A great choice for first single, and album-opener. extremely bad music video. 



2) On My Way
Sobriety and intoxication comparisons to love run rampant throughout, as she belts out that her "heart's too drunk to drive" and she exists in a "blackout state of mind." Nothing special. 

3) Burn With You
I love lyrics in this song, but the overall impression is not that great. She revealed earlier this year to Teen Vogue that this track was her boyfriend Cory Monteith's favourite.

4) Battlefield 

Released as a promo single, this song just slayed. It's another track about falling in love and breaking hearts, where the battlefield is the struggle to let go. It's sappy, but Michele owns songs like this.

5) You're Mine
Let it just be there, I love beginning of the song. 

6) Thousand Needles 
Love lyrics, nothing else. More pain, more sorrow, more exhaustion. Something is just missing. 

7) Louder
This just can't be a title track. Silly tiny-pop with catchy motive that finds Michele once again singing about overcoming adversity.  

8) Cue The Rain 
It's one of two songs that Michele co-wrote, and it doesn't seem out-of-place or awkward on the album. Its nice and enjoyable track, that can easily set you in the mood. "In my heart little sparks everywhere that you are, up in flames cue the rain".

9) Don't Let Go
If there was one song on "Louder" that could be cut, "Don't Let Go" should've been let go. It's another mid-tempo pop song that features bland imagery about flying high as a kite and holding on tight.

10) Empty Handed
If you like the idea of Michele sitting in with Coldplay, "Empty Handed" is your song. It is one of my favourite tracks on the album and it should definitely receive its own music video. 
"If I am a promise, will you let me break again? I will be your compass, I will only let you bend".

11) If You Say So

Wow. The final track on "Louder" is the second song Michele co-wrote and is about Monteith's death. It's a devastating piano ballad that, naturally, feels the most personal, whereas a majority of "Louder" songs feel tailor-made for junior high dances.
"It's about my last conversation that I had with him," the Glee star revealed to Seventeen. "I spoke to a woman who lost her son, and she mentioned how grateful she was that the last words she said to her son before he died were, 'I love you.' Mine were that as well.There are lots of different emotions—if you could see this person again, what are the things you would want to say to them? It's a personal story."
"It will always represent the most devastating thing that's ever happened to me in my whole life."
Grab your tissues and listen to "If You Say So" now.

Lastly, we have 4 bonus tracks, off which I would recommend only to listen to "What is Love?" and
"To Find You" .

Overal impression:
Solid debut album, that has some potential, but should've been left in studio for month or so and reworked. 

6 / 10

must have songs:
Cannonball
Battlefield
Cue The Rain
Empty Handed
If You Say So


Credits:
Lea Michele, 'Louder': Track-By-Track Review

Lea Michele on Cory Monteith Ballad 'If You Say So': 'Therapeutic and Difficult'
Lea Michele Opens Up About Song "If You Say So": It's About My Last Conversation With Cory Monteith