Michael Raven – “Live The Life Of Your Dreams”

Michael Raven – “Live The Life Of Your Dreams” – Album Review

Ohhhhhhh Michael…what are we gonna do with you brother-man?

Lemme start by pointing out the fact that I’ve pointed out the talents of Michael Raven a few times on these pages of ours in the past year or so already…make no mistake, I know the guy’s got the necessary requirements to succeed in this business.  And even though I’m hearing things in a few of his singles that I’d have recommended he change…I mean…well, first of all, who am I to butt in?  Secondly, it would seem that from the public response to his tunes that he’s doin’ just fine without my advice more or less.  The last two tracks that I’ve reviewed from him, “Never Be The Same” and “Bends It Like A Guitar String” have both gone on to achieve six-digits worth of clicks on Spotify alone, so he’s gotta be doin’ something right, right?  Believe me…all I’m hearing are tweaks that could be made…refinement & such…ultimately the guy’s got the right instincts & wouldn’t have to change a thing in his music if he didn’t really want to.

At the moment, my main concerns are all around structure and dynamics.  Personally speaking, I think the guy’s leaving a good 20-30% of his potential on the table by adhering to a strict formula that doesn’t possess enough deviation, like I mentioned back when I was talking about “Never Be The Same” earlier this year.  As to whether or not this new single is his official response to my observations & him choosing to audibly tell me to pound sand by coming back & basically doing the exact same things all over again, or if he already had this written and recorded and ready to go…well…I suppose only he knows the truth about which of those scenarios we find ourselves in here.  To me, he’s running into a classic songwriter’s trap of finding an approach that works and sticking with it.  Don’t get me wrong, you can write PLENTY of hits with that method, and again, with six-digit hit counts goin’ on at one single streaming site alone, if you’re to take the numbers at face value, then obviously he’s doing a whole lot right.  So why change?

Why do anything different when you’ve got something that works?  Fantastic question – I’m glad you asked.  For most artists, it’d be about EVERY reason that brought them to making music to begin with.  You WANT to explore.  You WANT to be creative.  You WANT to be daring.  You don’t WANT to settle for playing it safe.  Plus, Michael’s all of eight songs into his career as a professional musician releasing his tunes online.  If there’s a time to hint at some flexibility and more in the tank creatively, it’s at the start of a career.  Once folks think they know what to expect of you, it gets progressively harder to change.  When I hear Raven sing the verses of “Live The Life Of Your Dreams” and then slide into the chorus where he’s basically using that same melodic/tonal pattern for both parts, to me that suggests there’s a whole bunch of room to be more innovative and creative in the song’s he’s writing…but maybe that’s just me.  I’m not suggesting he’s got a perfect side-by-side comparison – there are a few differences to be found – but let’s be real here, they’re close enough that it’s hard to generate the kind of fireworks you want to find when part two of a song is essentially doing a ton of what was already done in part one.  That second part, aka the chorus in this instance and most, is where you want to raise the stakes and really hook the people in once and for all…or at least, that’s how music tends to work, typically.  It’s fair to say that Michael comes in, handles his business in that regard immediately in his verses, and then simply coasts on a quality idea throughout the chorus as it takes over from there.  His hooks are on display right away, which certainly ain’t a bad method in terms of grabbing the people’s attention out there – all I’m saying is that you want to give them other reasons to stick around beyond that afterward.

Variation isn’t necessarily the key to a great single, but it is often what keeps listeners invested, interested, and listening to an artist years down the road…at least from my perspective.  I’d never dispute the fact that Michael sings well and has the right voice for the kind of music he wants to make.  Heck, I’d even tell you that he’s got some massively significant highlights in the background vocals of “Live The Life Of Your Dreams” where he flexes a Cornell-esque type of sound.  Dude’s got a ton of potential and possibility for where he can take his music in the future, and you can hear that in every song he’s ever released, beyond the natural talent and skill he shows in each single.  I also think there’s always room for more positivity out there in the scene as well, which is really what “Live The Life Of Your Dreams” excels in mainly.  Aimed at being an inspirational tune that’ll get you movin’ towards your own goals, you gotta figure this song can double as Raven continuing to manifest the future he’s looking for in the life he’s leading as well.  But that all checks out…there are always positives, literally and metaphorically, to be found in what he’s creating.  The musicianship is bulletproof, the production is sound, and his voice is again as rocksteady as ever.  All I’m sayin’ is this…when you hear what the dude can bring to the background vocals…why not add a bit of that creative freedom to the verses, instead of having them built to be as rigid as they are?  Especially in a song where you’re talkin’ about being free to do whatever the heck you want, right?  “If you set your mind to it, you know you can do it,” right Michael?  I ain’t gonna lie to you – I still want more out of the man – but assuming numbers don’t lie, he’s doin’ just fine out there with the rest of you listening.

Find out more about Michael Raven from his official website at:  https://michaelraven.com

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