Album- Louder
Artist- Lea Michele
Fox TV show Glee has been a prominent cultural phenomenon of
the entertainment landscape, with the show’s musical numbers making a powerful
dent in the music market. As such it would be expected for the show’s stars to
branch out into doing their own thing with music. Leading the pack is Lea
Michele, who is arguably the shows brightest star and best singer. But does
Michele have what it takes to be on top with her solo music, particular in a
market dominated by a number of high profile female singers?
Track 1- Cannonball
Opening track and lead single Cannonball was recorded after
the death of the singer’s Glee co-star and boyfriend Cory Monteith, and acts as
a song that is meant to provide strength in tough times. Current hit maker of
the moment Sia Furler co-wrote the song, which finds Michele telling us of how
she is rising out of a bad place and starting to live life fully again, getting
out of her head by flying like a cannonball. Lyrically the song does the job of
creating this mantra of freedom and power, but the lyrics aren’t completely
captivating to listen to. However, the song definitely benefits from Michele’s Broadway
honed vocals, as she flits from the various areas of her range with ease and
creates a greater feeling of depth to the track. Producers Stargate and Benny Blanco
create a simple style with the rumbling bass and twinkling piano melody,
creating a nice sound that cuts straight to the point, but has enough weight
behind it to bring out the emotion of the lyrics. It may not be the best first
single, but in the wake of the singer’s recent personal tragedy, it is a lead
single that makes sense.
3.5/5
Track 2- On My Way
On My Way finds Michele turning her attention to more upbeat
pop territory, as she exclaims of hitting the road to get to her love, even if
she is maybe a bit too drunk in love. The problem with this track is the way
that it tries to pack in too much. Production wise the dubstep esque breakdown
into the chorus and the thumping beats don’t leave that much of an impression,
with the songs style sounding like a reject of other artists work. Vocally
Michele brings power to the song but is sometimes buried in the production, and
the style doesn’t totally suit her voice. Furthermore, the song’s lyrics
venture too much into clichéd pop sentiments, giving us a song that should have
been cut.
2.5/5
Track 3- Burn with
You
Starting off with quite a folksy, preppy rhythm, Burn with
You quickly transforms into a bold number all about Michele telling her love
that their relationship may not be right and he may be a bad character, but she
just wants to be with him and will go with him no matter what. Sadly this is
another track that is lyrically too embedded in clichéd statements that don’t come
across well, but the vocals are much stronger, as Michele’s voice works well
with the songs style of softer verses with a powerful chorus, whilst the vocal
layering in the middle section is a nice touch. The build-up of the production
is also nice with the intensifying of the stomping drumbeats and flourish of
strings, making for a song that still feels a bit too familiar into day’s pop
music world, but which is a slight improvement on the previous number.
3/5
Track 4- Battlefield
Presenting us with the first proper stripped back ballad of
the set, Battlefield is another song co-written by Sia. This time we find
Michele telling her love and us of how it is hard to be in a relationship, with
the focus being placed on the concept of a good idea of a relationship turning
into something bad. Lyrically this is the first really interesting piece, with
a metaphor laden intensity that is passionate and sincere whilst still
remaining catchy. The vocal performance of this track definitely sees Michele
at her best, with the song showing both the power of her Broadway voice, but
equally showing impeccable control that really makes the emotion more palpable.
Keeping the production simple with just a piano melody makes the vocals and
lyrics stand out more and gives the whole track more of an impactful quality,
and with this song we get the first sense of Lea Michele as an artist in her
own right.
3.5/5
Track 5- You’re Mine
You’re Mine finds Michele stepping away from dramatic and
tension ridden love stories and instead simply exclaiming of her joy and the
way that this boy will be hers for life, because they are so compatible and in
love. The lyrics are strong in the way that the element of cliché creeps in,
but instead the song comes across as a really sincere declaration of love. This
quality of the song is richly brought out by Michele’s voice, as the singer
shows both a dramatic, Broadway style and really performs the song, but also
creates this sense of truly meaning what she is singing. This is definitely a
high vocal point for the record, and the power of the vocals is also helped by
the production, which features a powerful, thumping beat, whilst the sampling
of the composition ‘You Only Live Twice’ brings out an extra layer of dramatic
effect alongside this quality of sweetness.
4/5
Track 6- Thousand
Needles
From the sweetness and love of the previous track we are
transferred to arguably the record’s darkest moment. Thousand Needles finds the
singer questioning her lover’s desire to break away from her, and the way that
this brings her pain and is causing her to lose that feeling of love. The song
presents the listener with one of the more intriguing and complex numbers in
terms of the lyrics, whilst the vocal performance is just stellar, as Michele really
powers through the chorus to give the track the right level of emotion. The
restrained style of the production with the frenzied bass and dark string arrangement
adds for a heavy tone of drama that strengthens the songs passion, and with this
track we are given a song that really compliments the other numbers in terms of
placement on the record.
3.5/5
Track 7- Louder
Stepping away from love based lyricism, title track Louder
finds Michele telling us of how we should step into the light and just go for
what we want in a bold way. The song finds the album in more upbeat territory,
but on this occasion the song works. Whilst there is an element of the track
sounding familiar to works from other artists (in particular Kelly Clarkson),
Michele does a good job vocally in giving us a track that works well against
the balladry of the other songs and allows the singer to perform a role that
still feels emotive and sincere. Keeping the synths and dance beats light and
simple allows for a nice pop texture to the track, and although the lyrics are
hindered by flourishes of cliché, on the whole we are delivered a song that
finally sees Michele deliver in giving us more of an upbeat tune.
3.5/5
Track 8- Cue the Rain
The first of two songs co-written by Michele for the record,
Cue the Rain takes us back into relationship territory, as we find the artist
lyrically telling us of how she has found herself coming back to this place
where she is looking for this person who she loves, but the passion of the
relationship has turned into a broken state of heartbreak, with the song
utilising this idea of the rain representing the heartfelt downpour that comes
with being burnt by the end of a relationship. The dramatic effects of the song
with the build-up of the vocal and the tone of passion works well, whilst the
rumbling style of the production adds to the passionate tone very nicely. The
problem with this song is that, whilst it now feels like a signature Michele
tune in its way, the song comes at a point where you can feel like you can only
take so much dramatic balladry.
3.5/5
Track 9- Don’t Let Go
Turning back to more upbeat pop territory, Don’t Let Go is
all about Michele telling her lover to not let go of her, as they are great
together and are just consumed by this powerful love where they can just run
off together and do anything. Here we are treated to another track that is
hindered by cliché, but with the solid pop chorus things are still catchy, and
it makes a nice change to see Michele in the throes of love. The passion of the
vocals is also still there but is elevated by some vocal layering, and in certain
ways the vocal performance is quite simple but effective. The style of the
production is a little bit bland in terms of the shiny synth undertones and
bold pop style, yet for me Michele still manages to make things work in the
context of the album as a whole, and it is just nice to see the singer change
up her style a bit more.
3.5/5
Track 10- Empty Handed
Co-written by American singer Christina Perri, Empty Handed
is another ballad that finds Michele singing about how this person is in this
state of searching for love, with Michele asking the question of if she lets go
will this person be there for her. The song is lyrically sweet and powerful,
with the lyrical structure working well in not building up in a simple way to
just another pop chorus, but instead sounding quite thoughtful. The vocal performance
finds Michele changing things up a bit, really just showing great control and
not going over dramatic with the vocal performance, but instead sounding softer
and in a way quite haunting. The production style is also more of a change with
stadium sized guitar riffs and drum beats that give us this Coldplay like sound
that works well, and shows more of a deeper and different shade of the artist
that Lea Michele is.
3.5/5
Track 11- If You Say
So
Final track If You Say So presents us with a very pure and
personal end to the record, as the song was co-written by Michele and focuses
on the last moments that she had with her boyfriend Cory Monteith before he
sadly passed. Lyrically the track is powerful, sounding sweet and sad in equal
measure and tapping into the feeling of both loving someone and being angry
that they are gone from your life. The vocal performance is equally as sweet
and sad with Michele holding her notes in a pure way that is brimming with
emotion. With the production style kept lush and restrained with a simple piano
melody and potent string arrangement the songs powerful lyrical sentiment has
more of a touching quality. It may have come under sad circumstances, but this
late addition to the record is a worthy addition, and hopefully we can see more
of this personal, deep kind of music from the singer in the future.
4/5
Final Review
Louder is definitely an album that will give the established
pop players a run for their money. What is great about the album is Michele’s
impeccable vocal performances, with the singer really utilising her range and
power well and flitting nicely between a dramatic Broadway style and simple pop
vocals. The whole production of the album is really great with subtle elements
of diversity and an equally dramatic quality that illuminates the singer’s
voice really well. Whilst some songs are hindered by lyrical cliché, other
tracks are complex and thought provoking, and on the whole we are given an
album that is catchy and accessible but not totally lifeless. Sometimes there
is the problem of Michele copying some of her contemporaries, but other songs
create a style that suits the singer well. Louder is a promising debut with
equal positives and negatives, and is a record that can definitely see the
singer go from strength to strength and improve as an artist.
6.5/10
Best Track- If You
Say So
Worst Track- On My
Way
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