Mitchel Musso: Mutchel Musso Reviews
|
When I first heard that “Hannah Montana’s” Oliver was going to be recording an album, I have to admit I was not all that thrilled. Just another Disney star pushing their music to the tween population, right? Wrong. If your exposure to his music is limited to the version of “Lean On Me” he recorded for Disney’s “Snow Buddies,” get that out of your head right now. The kid actually does have talent. He recorded a couple of songs for season three of “Hannah Montana,” and once those leaked, as well as the singles from this CD, I was hooked. I went into this CD expecting to only like the tracks I was already familiar with, but I left a fan. Don’t say I didn’t warn you that the same will happen to you.
“Hey” is the best song that could have been chosen to lead off the album. Although it is a break up song, it is undeniably fun to listen to. The pop/rock feel and the yelled refrain of “Hey” catch your attention right off the bat. The song is very much a case of the guy protesting his feelings a little too much, and that makes it the more endearing. With the repeated refrain of him being over the girl, his life being better now, and him not taking the time to really tell her these things, it is obvious he is still not over her. Somehow, instead of creating a repetitive chorus, it makes the song sweeter. Love it.
“Speed Dial” has, surprisingly, become one of my favorite songs, and not just on the album. With so many songs out there being about breaking up, this one offers a fresh perspective. It takes a modern view of heartbreak and letting go by featuring a piece of technology not in use in the songs of the eighties: a phone’s speed dial tool. Removing an ex-girlfriend’s number from the speed dial is the first step to getting over the loss. The idea may seem cheesy to some, but I find it completely relatable. Mitchel’s voice is also fantastic on this track, making me love the song even more. Once girls listen to this, I have no doubt they will be vying for a place on his phone’s speed dial.
“Us Against the World” features the talent of the lovely Katelyn Tarver (she is the star of the music video for Mitchel‘s “The In Crowd“ as well), and I actually think this song is better at showcasing her vocal ability than Mitchel’s. She sounds fantastic on this song, and I hope she gets to put out her own album soon that showcases her abilities as well as this song did. Her previous efforts have been mainly bubblegum pop, and her voice is much stronger than that. Mitchel, on the other hand, is just alright on this song. His voice does not really stand out here like it does on other tracks. It does have a unique sound to it, a blending of electronic and pop music that makes it an okay dance track. So, even though Mitchel said this was one of his favorite songs to do in a recent interview, it does not make my favorites list. I wonder a little bit what it would have sounded like if he had gone with the original idea of recording it solo.
“Do It Up” features a deeper quality to Mitchel’s voice through a lot of the song. It threw me at first, because I was trying to figure out if there was someone else on the track with him. I really like the attempt to change up his sound a little bit with this song. It gives a more classic rock feel to it, but somehow is not really out of place amongst the pop on the rest of the disc. Mitchel has managed to find a way to make multiple genres work for him all on one album. For most artists, this would make the disc feel more disconnected, but for him, it seems to work.
“Shout It” was a collaboration with Mitchel’s older brother Mason of the band Metro Station, and his influence is evident. I was a little apprehensive of this song originally. I am not a huge fan of Metro Station, and I was afraid the song would be too much like one of their tracks. I was pleasantly surprised. Although Mason does add a distinctive flavor to the music, it is done really well. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. It’s a really fun, danceable track, and I hope Mitchel gets his brother to work with him again on his next album. They make a good team.
“Welcome to Hollywood” is about the deception you find in relationships in the entertainment industry. It really examines the cattiness that can occur behind the scenes. I love it. It is another pop rock track, and I think Mitchel is best showcased on this kind of song. He sounds fantastic. (Fun fact: this song is reportedly going to be used in an upcoming episode of “Hannah Montana” by Mitchel’s character.)
“(You Didn’t Have To) Walk Away” has a bit of an R&B flavor to it, making it stand out amongst the more pop laden tracks. At times, it reminds me of an old school nineties boy band, but hey, I was really into the boy band craziness of the nineties. Mitchel does a great job of layering his voice with emotion for this song, but I really wish there was more to the song. The repetition of the title makes up the majority of the song. If he did not sound so good, I would probably get sick of it after listening a couple of times.
“Get Out” reminds me a lot of “Speed Dial” lyrically, but the two songs are very different musically. It is much more of an angry rock song than “Speed Dial” could ever pretend to be. Parts of the chorus feature the shouting of “Get Out,” really amping up the desperate feeling of the lyrics. The song is all about the need to get someone out of his head. It is another great track, and I am glad to see that he is able to do the rock aspect as well as he does the pop on the album.
“How To Lose A Girl” has a bit of a techno pop feel to it at first, which I am not usually a fan of, but by the time the chorus came around, I was able to get passed it. Musically, it is not my favorite track on the album. I almost feel like there is too much going on behind the vocals at some points in the song. The line of the song where Mitchel sings without any of the electronics in the background, or any instruments at all for that matter, is my favorite part. Which brings me to lyrically, I really like this song. It is a cute loving from afar warning about how the other guy is treating his girlfriend.
“The In Crowd” was the first single released for the album, and it received so much play by Disney that I started to get sick of it before I could even appreciate it. Listening to the track as part of the CD though, it is a good cover. The song really allows Mitchel to showcase his emotions and vocal ability, something that some of the other tracks do not really allow him to do at the same time. Listening to the song, I really believe that he knows what it feels like to be on the outside, as I am sure anyone else listening to it can attest to as well.
“Odd Man Out” is actually very similar in concept to “The In Crowd,” and it was smart to pair them on the disc. It looks at the same concept on a much smaller scale though. He’s the third wheel, rather than just an outsider at school. The idea of him losing the girl to another guy and this causing him to feel alone is a much more personal idea, and the emotions are vocalized even better on this song than its counterpart. I love this track as well.
“Movin’ In” lets you know that Mitchel is ready for his place in the spotlight, and I think it is great as the cap to the album. He has a line in the song saying “I’m a member of the in crowd now,” a nod to the previous tracks that explored the feeling of being on the outside. Listening to the upbeat track, it is so easy to get caught up in it and root for him to become the star he wants to be. It’s a fun song, and I have a feeling it would really be something to see him sing this live.
There really is not much on this album to dislike. It has a little bit of everything without feeling like it’s trying to hard, and the vocal ability is evident. I have a feeling the people who dislike it are those who are against the idea of more Disney stars taking over the radio stations they enjoy so much. Mitchel Musso undoubtedly deserves the chance to show his musical chops though. If he ever decides to give up acting, he has a solid career as a musician waiting for him on the sidelines. This was a fantastic effort for his first studio album, and I know I will be listening to it like crazy.