Lea Michele 'Louder' Album Review

Artist: Lea Michele 

Album: Louder (March, 2014)

Lea Michele ‘Louder’ Album Review

I first came across Lea Michele in the same way that like 95% of the population came across her, in a little show called Glee. Don’t get me started on Glee. I loved this show in Season 1 and then I stopped loving it so much in Season 2 and stopped watching.

But this review isn’t about Glee. It’s about Lea Michele. Now, although I did stop watching Glee every few months I would hit YouTube to see if they had done any covers and to be honest, Lea’s were the ones I was more drawn too. Her voice is pretty flawless.

I had been waiting for her to bring out her own album since Glee started but I figured she would wait until Glee was over until she would actually bring one out so when I heard about the release of Louder, I was a little excited.

But then I heard Cannonball. And to be honest, I was disappointed. It was a good song but I was just expecting so much more from Lea! However, I still went on to listen to her whole album and I’m going to press play now and literally give you a track by track review, you lucky things! ;) I’m doing the deluxe version by the way, so 14 songs to listen to.

Here we go…

Track 1 - Cannonball 

Now, I’ve already said that I was initially disappointed when I first heard this song and I was. I think it took about three listens for it to randomly get stuck in my head. Literally, I kept singing the same damn line over and over, it drove me insane. But of course, I went home and listened to it anyway. I’ve decided now that I quite like the song and obviously the message is a good one. It’s obvious to me why it was chosen as the first lead song also but I won’t go into that. On the whole, it’s a feel good song that I’ll bash out when I’m feeling down.

Track 2 – On My Way

I’ve just read that this track is going to be the next single and I’m really happy about this because I love this song. My favourite thing about a song is the chorus and this chorus is just perfect. The only line I’m not too sure of is “My hearts too drunk to drive.” I get that it’s trying to be poetic and lyrical but I just don’t like it. Anyways, this song is definitely a catchy track that – if I could drive – I would definitely have playing in my car trying to keep me awake and no doubt dancing around like a lunatic! 

Track 3 – Burn With You

I like this song but it doesn’t really come across as anything special to be honest. I like the way Lea’s voice sounds on some of the tracks in the chorus, really soft and yet strong at the same time. But the following line when she sings the title of the song just sounds like she’s straining her voice to me and I’m just not a big fan of this. 

Track 4 – Battlefield

What can I say about this song? If I’m honest, the song didn’t make much of an impact on me but then I didn’t listen to it very closely the first time I heard it. But now, my thoughts on this song are that the lyrics, the music and Lea’s voice are all just flawless. I love how Lea’s voice comes across rather passionate in the chorus for her voice to sound softer and almost crestfallen when she sings the last line. It really brings the emotion. Definitely a fave! 

Track 5 – You’re Mine

I really feel kind of meh about this song. I don’t really have much to say, it doesn’t sound terrible and yet it doesn’t sound all that brilliant either. There’s nothing amazing that stands out to me about the lyrics but it’s not a song I would immediately skip on my iPod if it came up. It’s just nothing special in my opinion. 

Track 6 – Thousand Needles

This song was a grower for me, I liked it but again, it didn’t come across as anything overly special to me. That being said, I’m listening to it now and actually, it’s a rather beautiful song. It’s not as good as some of the other ballads that Lea has put on the album but it does have a beautiful simplicity feel about it. I’m not going to lie; every time she sings ‘Shades of Grey’…you know what the first thing popping into my head is! 

Track 7 – Louder

Before the album was released, I had managed to hear about four songs off the album; this was the first song that I instantly really liked. The others were really growers for me and I had been hoping for something a little better. However, there’s something about Louder that I love. It’s a song that I could dance to and sing along to – if I was drunk because I don’t sing aloud otherwise! I love the bridge of the song where Lea’s voice goes soft and then she 


bursts into the upbeat chorus, it’s a really good effect and it works. 

Track 8 – Cue the Rain

This is a song on the album that is one that I like but doesn’t quite reach my favourite list. It’s got a great chorus, which I have already mentioned is my favourite part of a song. It’s not a song that I would find catchy though, I don’t know why but I don’t think it’s a song that I would find myself singing along to it like I would Louder but there is something about it that I do like. For me, I think it is the chorus. However, she seems to have injected this choir like bit at the end and that I just don’t like. I’m not particularly fond of this being used in songs and I don’t feel it works for this song. Luckily, it’s only at the end. 

Track 9 – Don’t Let Go

Something has hit me whilst I’m writing this. I had listened to this whole album about three or four times before beginning to write this but this is something I have only just noticed. Some of these songs are really starting to sound same-ish. I don’t know if it’s just this song and the previous track but they just sound so similar to me. It’s a great song to me, a good catchy song but very similar to Cue the Rain and I can’t quite put my finger on why I think that. 

Track 10 – Empty Handed

This is my favourite song on the CD. I love the way Lea’s voice sounds when she is singing the bridge, her voice sounds different to how I’ve heard it already on the album. The song starts off slow, but not in a way that I am setting myself up for a song like Battlefield. Once the chorus has finished, this beat starts in, which reminds me slightly of Coldplays – The Scientist towards the end, in a good way of course. As the song goes on, it gets more upbeat whilst Lea still retains the softness of her voice that she had at the start of the track. You may be wondering why I haven’t given this song five stars, just because it’s my favourite song of the album – it doesn’t mean it’s the best song on the album. 

Track 11 – If You Say So

I know that Lea’s specialty is ballads and that but I really was expecting more upbeat, dancing type songs on the album. Here, is where the regular version of the album finished and it really does end with a beautiful song. This song was apparently written about Cory Monteith and how Lea felt a week after he passed away. This song is beautiful but knowing this and the reason why it was written makes the song that more beautiful and more heart-wrenching.  

Deluxe Edition Songs

Track 12 – What is Love?

I feel about this song, the same way I feel about You’re Mine. There’s also something about them that I find similar. I’m not a massive fan about this song, I like the lyrics and such of the song but I really don’t like the way Lea’s voice sounds on the chorus, it’s something that begins to grate on me halfway through the song, It’s a weak track to me.

Track 13 – Gone Tonight

My favourite deluxe song, I really do love this. Its catchy, it’s upbeat whilst being beautiful at the same time. I still stand by my idea that Lea could have done with one or two more songs like Cannonball and Louder on here but I’ll take this one. I personally think this should have been on the album instead of You’re Mine (probably just because I like this a whole lot better than I do that one) and it’s got a great chorus.

Track 14 – The Bells

Lea ends the album with another ballad and it’s a pretty one. But that’s kind of it to me. The first time I heard it, I got bored. But I have a tendency to not appreciate a song on the first listen. Now, the song is lovely and Lea’s tone of voice does sound good in the song but I think after listening to songs like Battlefield, Empty Handed and If You Say So it just doesn’t hold a candle to it to me. It also begins to sound like the first minute and a half is just being repeated continuously after a while.

After listening to this album a fair few times, it has really grown on me as an album and that’s what it really has come across to me. A grower album. It has some really strong tracks but it also has some weak and forgettable ones. Its not the best album I’ve ever heard but it’s a good, strong first album for Lea and I’m excited to see what she’ll do next.

I was torn between an overall, three and half stars or four stars for this album, one feels too little and the other feels too much. So I’ll leave it up to you guys! :)