Love Is A Chorus – Then I Met You
Love Is A Chorus – Then I Met You – EP Review
Now don’t get me wrong…I know the heart of this project known as Love Is A Chorus resides in singer/songwriter Jonathan – I’m just sayin’ I absolutely love the way this record begins with a subtly dramatic instrumental, “Intro (Then I Met You).” Highly effective – this track sets the stage perfectly and gives you a stunning dose of completely engaging sound…it might be short at less than 2:30 in length, but this is the right way to open up a record without a doubt. Considering this is the debut EP & all, to me, “Intro (Then I Met You)” and how this lineup goes on to reveal itself, proves that Love Is A Chorus is thinking about things from every angle straight outta the gate, and is bringing high-quality sound along with it. For a first impression, I’m stoked – there’s a ton of powerful emotion in this instrumental track, the melody is superb, the musicianship is on-point…all-in-all, I’d have taken another five minutes of it with no complaints. Ain’t that the kind of start you wanna hear? The kind that has you immediately wanting more? It might be short, but it makes a major impression on ya…this sounds like something I’d want to listen to right away, and indicates there’s going to be a solid mix of real substance & style here.
“Love Of My Lifetime” has real magic to it as well…it’s like…somewhere in between what you like about Train, with the real soul you’d find in something involved with Chris Robinson…it makes for quite the mix. Classified as ‘alternative rock’ on the page at Soundcloud though…if anything, I’d probably look to tweak that a bit…it’s a minor observation, but it’s probably a fair distance removed from what the majority of people out there associate with the ‘alternative’ sound and much more towards a straight-up Pop/Rock ballad. Every little bit counts when you’re talkin’ about tunes with the people out there and introducing yourself to the world…you want that best foot forward, and the last thing you want to do is have someone out there clicking “Love Of My Lifetime” expecting something like Nirvana, and finding a song that’s got a whole lot more in common with something like Matchbox 20 or Ed Sheeran. Anyhow…all that aside…you can tell by those latter comparisons that Love Is A Chorus is on extremely solid ground – “Love Of My Lifetime” is purely gorgeous, full-stop. Mesmerizing, heartfelt, soulful – these are the kind of words you’d associate with what you’ll experience…comforting, beautiful, and captivating…there’s a few more for ya – your first dose of Jonathan’s vocals hits a massive homerun.
With “Fall In Love (Again & Again),” you start to be able to fill in the blanks definitively, and understand the professional caliber of music you’re listening to & the heartfelt style of Jonathan’s songwriting when it comes to Love Is A Chorus. While there’s always going to be an argument that it’s tough to recreate the wheel when it comes to writing love-songs, there’s no doubt that Jonathan is a writer highly in-tune with the material he takes on, and an artist that knows his way around the kind of tunes he wants to make. I really dig how this cut puts love itself under the microscope, and dives right into how it changes throughout the years that follow, how we grow & evolve along with it, how special it remains as time goes by – Jonathan’s got a great way with his words, and wields his sincerity like the asset it genuinely is. Plus, that falsetto he’s got is quite something else…no joke…listening to this track was like hearing the best of Chris Martin from his early work in Coldplay, crossed with the easygoing, down-to-earth natural style of an artist like Josh Rouse as well. Both of those names reside firmly on my playlists even to this very day, so yep, in my opinion, Love Is A Chorus is keeping extremely good company. All-in-all, I felt like “Love Of My Lifetime” was a perfect example of a song that instantly connects, and “Fall In Love (Again & Again)” isn’t too far behind that…I felt like, while the hooks might not be quite as strong perhaps, the substance really runs deeper here. To me, while I wouldn’t go as far as to say “Love Of My Lifetime” will wear out for me any time soon, I can say that a song like “Fall In Love (Again & Again)” is very much the kind of song that not only holds up strong over time, but also the kind of cut you get more out of each and every time you repeat it. From the strings to the beat itself, there’s a genuinely special sound to “Fall In Love (Again & Again)” that feels like you’re listening to Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.
I think there’s a solid argument to be made on behalf of “If & When” increasing the accessibility factor when it comes to the people out there listening…that’s a catchy beat, the music coming along with it is clever and smartly designed to engage our ears with unique sound, and Jonathan of course, never brings anything less than a high level of professionalism that seems well-beyond what you’d expect in a debut. In all honesty, it seems like the dude could fall out of bed onto a song…at least that’s what it sounds like, and that’s a good thing…this whole EP has come out extremely naturally, and there’s nothing less than single-worthy songs coming out of every pore in this record. Obviously, the reality is, everything’s really well-rehearsed…we all get one opportunity to make our debut, and Jonathan has put the effort into making sure that every moment we experience is professionally refined to the nines & 100% ready to roll. If all this catches on like it SHOULD, then fantastic – he’s got that future as an artist he’s seeking out – but even in the event that it doesn’t, I’m tellin’ ya right here this guy could be a consultant to the next generation on how to be prepared for the moment where talent meets opportunity, and/or songwriting as well. He knows his way around the microphone, has a great understanding of his strengths as a singer, knows exactly how to get the most out of the melodies within his material…Jonathan’s got a lot to offer the music-scene overall, and every right to pursue his career at full-force. All this positivity I tell you! Truthfully, I think the other three cuts probably had me more convinced if I’m being real with ya – that’s no knock against “If & When” – this is an absolutely solid cut that I firmly believe has more of a widespread appeal & potential to it when it comes to the majority of listeners out there…I’m simply offering my own perspective. There are songs like this one, pretty much guaranteed to be a hit, and others like the first three tracks I’ve been ranting about, that earn your attention through substance – make sense? “If & When” sounds like it’s gonna be a hit no matter what, in comparison to the others we’ve heard on this EP so far, that might take a spin or two more to catch on, but will hold up longer over the years to follow because of that. At the end of the day, neither style of song is any better than the other, or any less sincere coming from Love Is A Chorus…it’s just a case of it is what it is, and the reality of how different approaches to the writing can generate a different type of result in the end. It’s already a case of Jonathan competing with only himself…”If & When” is every bit as much of an A-side tune as any of the rest are, it’s only by comparison to the rest that it might not connect quite as strongly.
I listen to “Can’t Stop,” and I feel even more resolve in my Martin-meets-Rouse comparison from earlier on…that’s definitely who Jonathan reminds me of. The natural down-to-earth vibes of Rouse, with the spectacular beauty of Martin’s connection to melody from the earliest days of Coldplay…like, to the point when I’d be shocked if Jonathan wasn’t still a massive fan of everything on A Rush Of Blood To The Head to this very day. “Can’t Stop” is a stellar examination of how love is everlasting and outlives us all. Hooks-wise, it’s a complete knockout…as compelling as it is captivating, and a real moment in time where you have to stand back and realize that, for a debut, Love Is A Chorus is undeniably special and completely on the right path towards success. Verse-wise…I don’t know if I can say for a fact that I feel like it’s one of the strongest this time around – honestly, it’s a bit more plain, straightforward, and dare I say, normal – but sometimes, when it comes to songwriting, the impact of having something like this included increases the wow factor of a transition, which is what I feel like we find here when we hit the chorus of “Can’t Stop.” Lyrically, the sincerity never drops one iota, and neither does the passion in Jonathan’s performance or professionalism…if anything, it’s simply a matter of a chorus that has all that magic you’re looking for & more – the main hooks of “Can’t Stop” are one of the best moments on this EP and without a doubt one of the most memorable highlights of any song you’ll find on Then I Met You.
As far as I understand it, this record gets its official release on September 27th this year…and you wanna circle that date, because Love Is A Chorus has really put together a quality experience on all fronts. We’re ahead of the game here, pre-release…so I’m not completely sure that the lineup will be featured in the same order that I’ve been listening, but assuming that it does, Then I Met You will finish strong with the lead-single “With You” as its finale. This track probably drifts closer towards that Train/Matchbox 20 type of sound once again, but there ain’t nothing wrong with that y’all…both of those bands have each had, what – a million hits apiece by now? A million & one? You get the idea – it’s not only a solid comparison to what you’ll hear on “With You,” it’s also a strong indication that the kind of songwriting Jonathan has been putting into Love Is A Chorus is going to take this music straight to the top of the charts, and quite likely your playlists in the process as well. “With You” might be a bit more low-key than the rest in a delicate acoustic-led gear, but it’s strong material all around as far as my ears are concerned. Like I said, love songs can be harder to make an impression on the people than you’d think at this point in music’s history, but there’s not a thing about the way this project is tackling the material that doesn’t reveal the kind of heart & sincerity that leads straight to success. I like what I hear – and I felt like Love Is A Chorus gives us every reason to believe this is a band with a real career up ahead, one filled with longevity, passion, and great music that is as memorable as it is magical.
Listen to more music by Love Is A Chorus at Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/loveisachorus
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