Time time time time…

The passage of time has become a regular topic of conversation this year. Musical adaptations of popular movies can be hit or miss for me so I was apprehensive to listen to this album originally. Boy am I not kidding when I say I’ve listened to this album at least once a day for the last 2 weeks. Many of the songs are short and serve, presumably, to connect certain points in the story. But the melodies are so sweet and the entire album plays out as one long song. It’s quite beautiful and full of wonderful melodies.

Time
The clock is captured instantly in this opening number. The ticking, or plucking, of guitar strings will be a recurring motif throughout Michaelson’s score. This opening number introduces the main characters in a moderate tempo ballad with overlapping, interconnected polyphonic voices. The lyrics are as simple as can be without impacting quality of the libretto. Michaelson does a good job with straightforward story telling and cadence of the sentences matching the musical phrase structure.

Leave the Light On
Oh boy, it’s hard to keep the tears inside my head. After a few small introductory tunes, Ryan Vasquez graces us with this beautiful solo. This pop number stands out to me on the album. Out of context it is a nice song and it is the first song I heard before the album fully released. But musically it makes so much sense in the context of the full album. A violin and piano playfully converse with the ticking of the guitar clock. There is nothing complicated about the hook, which I love, but it really hooks you in: but I’ll leave the light on anyway.

I Wanna Go Back
Oh gosh more tears. Again a simple melody that tugs on my heartstrings. The harmonies in the first verse lead up to a simple and mournful sigh: I didn’t know that the last time I’d leave the house was the last time I’d leave the house. Michaelson accents certain phrases with minor chords which contrast to the big major 3rd and 5th harmonies of the chorus.

If This Is Love
Yes, this is love, I am in love with this album. I know I keep mentioning the simplicity of the score, but this song is such a good example. The song starts on a single note repeated. Singer Jordan Tyson has a simple melody to work with but exudes so much emotion in a short span of the song. The orchestrations are simple and bouncy against the heartbeat of the 4/4 plucking guitar and a short oboe solo accompanies Tyson during the verse about the caged bird. The last minute of the song, the bridge leading into the last chorus, is absolute sonic heaven:

If this is love I think I’m in it and in between it and upside down.
If this is love. If this is love. This is what all the songs are about
This is why I have to break out. This is what I can’t live without
I am ready now, I am ready for love!

Kiss Me
A romantic song with beautiful, soaring harmonies. Pretty easy to put on repeat. There is nothing complicated about Michaelson’s song structure here but with regard to capturing the feeling of butterflies in the stomach, she really knocks it out of the ballpark on this one.

Forever
This sounds like the finale to Act 1 but I am not certain. Unlike all the other tracks, this song is over 5 minutes long and features several dialogue interludes between verses. Michaelson does not rush this studio recording of this song and it’s nice to hear how some of the spoken dialogue plays out. This song is definitely best in the context of the full album, I’m not sure I’ve put this song on any playlists to listen to standalone. But it’s a powerful track that feels very immersive with the rain and theatrics/acting.

Iron In The Fridge
A small, simple song with a gorgeous chorus. Dorian Harewood sings beautifully but mostly this song holds my hand as I cry for loved ones getting older.

My Days
Pretty much the best song on the album, hands down. Michaelson hooks you in on the first verse and chorus which are stripped bare. Joy Woods has beautiful pitch and tone and her voice is very fitting here. The second verse brings in more orchestrations and a bouncing/rolling tempo. And the final chorus and outro are big soaring belting outstanding vocals and I can listen to on repeat over and over and over again.

Coda
Lots of tears. And and the end, big harmonies and a key change to boot!

Overall I highly recommend this album. Each track feels so cohesive and there is no one song that feels out of place. I hope I can make a trip up to New York in the near future to see this production.

You can listen to the album here: