After listening to singer-songwriter Chelsea Dasso's self-titled debut album, I found it funny that iTunes placed it in my library under the "Easy Listening" genre. Truth be told, Dasso has an utterly beautiful voice, one I wouldn't mind playing all day long. But when I think of Easy Listening, I think of artists like Jack Johnson or Norah Jones; I think of musicians whose music, while it may be great, fades into the background with relative ease.
Dasso's lyrics don't let her songs fade like this; along with that beautiful voice, the words are powerful and, most of all, relatable. Sure, the production here is very simple, but to call it bare-bones would be a fallacy; there's too much vocal and lyrical prowess to be found.
"There's a reason and a season for it all." That's the lyric I'd choose to sum up much of the album's theme. Fittingly, those words come along in the album's leadoff track, "Crazy". Featuring simply an acoustic guitar and Dasso's voice, she reflects on a crazy year no doubt filled with heartbreak and complication.
"Crazy" is an important track because it's simultaneously sad and introspective, but it comes off as non-mopey. Again, the tone is set for the album. There's some extremely sad stuff to be found throughout the 11 tracks, but I finished the album with a "light at the end of the tunnel" mentality. I think that was intentional.
If I wrote more album reviews, you'd know I'm a sucker for the piano. Both “This Goodbye” and "Rescue" feature it heavily, and that's one of the reasons I appreciate them. Dasso shows some shades of Amy Lee here, which I appreciate (the fact that Lee is featured with Seether on one of my favorite songs of all time notwithstanding).
I love "Line in the Sand". The lyric "I'm afraid we're meant to be together, but not forever," is one that requires an extra moment of thought to truly understand. It has gravity, and the song tells a story. I like that.
"Every Song" is one of the sadder pieces on the album; it gives an outright reason for why we write sad songs, and explores how maybe, just maybe, the people we write these songs about don't deserve the time. It also delves into how songs we don't write ourselves can still hit home. Yet another great summary of my feelings on this album: I didn't write these songs, but I've definitely felt these feelings.
"Generation" was probably my least favorite song on the album. It has a lot of production value, adding in drums as well as a choir effect towards the end, but I think I appreciate the simplicity of the rest of the album a bit more. However, the repeated line about not wanting to "go it alone" gives a much-needed personal touch to a song exploring the struggles of an entire generation.
"Front Seat" is another story song. We get a short picture of a seemingly good situation, fast-forwarded into an excruciating future. This song demonstrates how drastically and tragically things can change over time. It’s also a stark reminder of how difficult it can be to see where exactly things went wrong. Comparing two contrasting situations is a sad course to take, but the contrast is a wonderful mechanism to illustrate the sadness. It's easy to wonder if we're even hearing about the same people, which is a strange, somber thought.
"Reflection" is hauntingly epic, and another favorite of mine. It's a confrontational song, one of those pieces that sounds as though it was written during a venting session. I'm convinced that some of the best songs ever written were hashed out during a time of difficult, passionate emotion. The listener can feel this, and it gives the song a great deal of power. The eerie, surreal piano that’s present here only adds to that. Wait for the 2:30 mark in the song, you’ll see what I mean.
“Undreaming Love” is an intimate portrait that compares love to dreaming. It took me a few listens to acquire the meaning. To me, the song basically asks how we can know we’re dreaming when true love is good enough to be a dream in itself? I truly enjoyed the song, probably partially due to my interest in dreams. The lyrics here tell us that dreamlike love is indeed possible. Uplifting, no?
“Worth You” is a slower song, but that doesn’t detract from its fiery message. It’s one of the songs on the album that doesn’t seem to look for the positive in lost love. It’s a portrait of a lover who is going through a phase in which she can only see the negative. It’s a reminder of the dark place we must all sometimes go to when dealing with heartbreak.
“One More Kiss” acts as the album’s closer, and it reinforces the “light at the end of the tunnel” mentality I mentioned earlier. It’s a simple, piano-driven love note from one person to another. It’s the perfect end to an album that runs the gamut of emotions. At the end of the day, all craziness aside, there’s love to be found, and that’s what counts, no matter how much we must search for it.
"I'm waiting for the sun to rise on something new, something beautiful.” It’s my hope that this album is just the beginning for Chelsea Dasso. These songs couldn’t fade into the background when I played them. They feel as though they’ve been ripped from the heart of somebody trying their best to see the big picture in some very hard times. Music has always helped me do that, and my iPod is now graced with 11 more songs to serve that purpose.
I can’t wait to hear more.
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