Music Review: Eden Espinosa's "Look Around"

As promised, here is my review of Eden Espinosa's album "Look Around."

By Song:

1. "I'm Not That Girl" -- This is a beautiful arrangement of the Wicked song. So full of heart. Definitely a great way to start the album.
2. "Stone Cold Sober" -- It's nice to hear a rougher, more pop (almost rock even) sound from Eden. It's a nice change from her Broadway sound.
3. "Petrified" -- This song fits perfectly after "Stone Cold Sober." It also has that rougher sound. It is a very relatable song. One that anyone who is feeling a little down can understand. Though, it is mostly lower than we are used to her singing don't be fooled. Those high points are definitely still there.
4. "I Know the Truth" -- One of my favorite songs from Aida. It hasn't been rearranged very much but simplicity of the sound is beautiful. It is possibly even more haunting than it is in the show's arrangement. You can really picture Eden sitting on a stool in a very intimate concert venue performing this song as you listen to it, and there's no other sound but her voice and the guitar. Wonderful.
5. "I Miss the Mountains" -- The first verse is beautiful and melodic. The change into the chorus seems to pick up a little too quickly for me. I would've liked to stay in the soft place a little longer, but it fits the story being told.
6. "With You" -- Anyone who has been through a heartbreak, lost a loved one, etc. will completely relate to this song. It's not as haunting as her version of "I Know the Truth" but it is a beautiful song. When the tempo picks up at the bridge you aren't thrown by it. It's the moment of rage or denial you feel in that sort of heartbreak. Really lovely.
7. "Once Upon A Time" -- We know it so well. It is synonymous with Eden. The arrangement is different and dreamy. It feels very childlike. It's not the belty version we all know. It is very different. I would compare it to an upbeat lullaby.
8. "One Song Glory" -- I love the beginning of this song. The building of the song. How will it sound? How does it all fit together? Each instrument... each note... each chord? It's beautiful. Her voice comes through soft and haunting. The instruments build as the song progresses, finding their place in the mix. One of my favorite RENT songs just became even more precious to me. The moment the back-up vocals came in I got chills.
9. "Look Around" -- The title song is beautiful and simple. It is a perfect ending to the album.

Overall:

I found this album to be very enjoyable. It flowed nicely from one song to the next. It's a nice acoustic album for anyone who enjoys that sort of sound. It's not the high belty stuff we've come to know her for, but I didn't expect it to be. It's simple. You want to hear more of her voice even after the album ends. My favorite songs were "I Know the Truth" and "One Song Glory." They are absolutely beautiful arrangement. I definitely recommend this album to anyone who enjoys musical theatre or acoustic sounds. It's definitely for you. I'd have to give it a 4 out of 5 glitter rating.

Upcoming: Music, a Book, and a Movie

I am currently downloading Eden Espinosa's album "Look Around." Even though, it was released on December 18th, I haven't been able to purchase it until now. Some of you may or may not know that she is one of my MANY music idols. I find her voice to be absolutely stunning. I have heard and read many great things about this album. However, I'm plan to let you know my exact feelings sometime this week.

Also, I will be writing a review for Hidden by P.C. and Kristin Cast very soon. I'm a huge House of Night fan. I just finished reading it a few days ago. First, I have to wrap my head around what I want to highlight as to not give away too many spoilers.

The last part of this post's title OBVIOUSLY refers to the movie-musical version of Les Miserables,which you can currently catch in theatres. I went to see it on Christmas Day with my roommate. I have some very strong opinions on this. (Imagine! I have strong opinions on everything.) Most of these opinions are very positive. Some are not. I'll have my character breakdown up soon. I said a few things on Facebook, but I knew I could be more detailed on here.

Not included in the title are a few other things...

1. Season 5 of Merlin premieres in the USA on Friday, Jan. 4th on SyFy. I would recommend EVERYONE watch it. It's the final season of the show and COMPLETELY worth it.

2. The Survivors Series made an announcement yesterday... a very exciting announcement. Head on over to their blog to get all the details. The Survivors Series Blog (Hint: It's Book 3 related.) If you haven't been reading The Survivors Series, I implore you to go purchase The Survivors and The Point of Origin RIGHT NOW! You won't be disappointed. I plan on reviewing The Point of Origin sometime soon. I will probably re-read it before I do so, though.

That's all for now. I hope the New Year is treating you well.

Glitter & Sass...

Sarah

Today's the Day

Happy New Year's Day, friends! I slept like a rock last night. I would like to thank my friends Merlot and Nyquil for that wonderful night of sleep. It was very much needed. I'm still feeling very under the weather, but it will pass as all colds do.

So, I've been thinking a lot about New Year Resolutions. We always make them, and most of the time we always break them. However, I really want to try to be a better person. I want to try to find out what my dreams are and follow them. I want to learn to love myself as much as I love the glitter covered sassy version of myself. So, here's a list of things I want to do this year. I would rather think of this more as a year long bucket list than resolutions.

Here goes:

1. I want to make better financial decisions.
2. Finish Book One of The E Series.
3. Finish secret musical project.
4. Read more.
5. Go on a real vacation.
6. Keep the apartment clean.
7. Build up my book.
8. Audition for more than one show.
9. Pay off my credit card.
10. Treat people better.

These are just 10 of many ideas I have for this year. Hopefully I will complete them all. If not, here's hoping I can finish most.