Lea Michele: Louder Album Review

Reviewed by Marisa C. on Mar 06, 2014

Rating:

So long Glee! Lea Michele has burst back onto the music scene solo with her debut album Louder, full of emotional ballads and raw vocals - find out more in the Kidzworld Review of Louder!

Louder is Lea Michele's first solo albumCourtesy of Sony Music

Louder

After years as a lead cast member on Glee (as Rachel Berry), there can be no doubt about Lea Michele's ability to reach the highest and longest notes, and to do it with feeling. In fact, in addition to Glee she's also made a splash on Broadway, so a solo album was a natural and long-awaited move, and fans and critics couldn't wait to see whether the 27-year-old singer could captivate us on a solo album the same way she does on TV and on the stage. Louder sets out to prove that she can with a collection of strong ballads about heart ache and emotional breakthroughs, and in light of the death of her on and off-screen love Cory Monteith last summer, the songsto take on an even more powerful meaning (especially the song "If You Say So," which was written by Lea about Cory after his passing.)

"If You Say So" was written about Cory Monteith

The first single and first track of the album "Cannonball" sets the tone for the rest of Louder. It has a pop-y chorus that is bound to get stuck in your head, and the anthemic heights of the song are designed to inspire, telling a story of getting out of the darkest phase or your life and moving on. It also manages to showcase Lea's incredible vocal range (of which we've seen weekly proof on Glee.) You might say that Lea is a master at ballads, and "Battlefield" and "Thousand Needles" are perfect proof of that - by the end of both songs you'll feel as if you've just had your heart crushed!

"Cannonball" is the first single off LouderCourtesy of Sony Music

Louder features some nice electro-pop tunes that are destined to be sampled by DJs and are radio-ready for the upcoming year, like the stand-out track "Burn With You" and "On My Way." For fans of Lea's Broadway style singing on Glee, "You're Mine" will be the track made for you, and is in fact one of the best on the album. At times this album can get a little too emotional simply because her style of singing is all about tapping into your emotions. Even the dance tracks on the albums are still very close to ballads. Strangely the title track "Louder," is one of the most forgettable on the album. Overall though if you love getting in touch with your feelings and you can't resist a showtune or love ballad, then Louder is going to hit all the right spots for you.