This Album is a Magnificent Gift of Musical Artistry
5
By Beth I Rosen
“All These Hellos”, Louise Goffin’s newest full-length album, expresses musical artistry at its finest. In ten deftly produced tracks of varying emotions and tempos, Goffin effortlessly shares her musical genius. Imbued with stirring orchestral arrangements, brilliant lyrics, and stirring music, this album is magnificent. Louise Goffin is a profoundly insightful songwriter, capable of turning melodic turns of phrase into poetically thought provoking songs.
Each track on this record is outstanding. The depth of the lyrics will make you think. The entrancing vocals will make you smile. The stunning music will make you happy. I will offer a few highlights though there is not a track that isn’t a standalone hit.
My favorite song on this album, “Let Me In Again” is unlike any ballad I have ever heard in my lifetime. I don’t state that frivolously. It struck me as extraordinarily beautiful the first time I heard it and continues to do so. Adjectives cannot do justice to this spot-on reflection on the human condition. With an awe-inspiring melody and mellifluous vocals, Goffin reflects upon a reality of the modern world. “No one has time to love anymore/To love anymore/To love anymore/No one has time to call anyone/To call anyone/To call anyone/Neither do I/So can’t we just find/A way to put everything aside?” Do you know what else no one does anymore? I offer that no one, seriously no one, writes perceptive lyrics like this anymore. This song unto itself is a testament to Goffin’s richly passionate and astute commentaries on life. Only a brilliant songwriter and gifted lyricist could have written this song. There is undoubtedly a TV or movie producer seeking a tender and insightful track to which its audience will relate deeply. This song is your gift.
“Chinatown” is a glorious tune evocative of a vintage movie. Its orchestral arrangement will sweep you off your feet. Play this elegant duet Louise sings with Rufus Wainwright in the morning and you will be singing it and hearing the strings playing in your head all day long. This song conjures an ethereal feeling. “You can be my good luck charm/Every day’s the new year/Chinatown/We’ll go down/Come around to Chinatown/Oh Oh Oh.” This mesmerizing track will be sought after as a movie producer’s good luck charm.
The melodious title track is a reminiscent romantic memory. “Meet me at the summer house/Just the way you always did/I’ll hang your clothes/On a fishing pole/Like I did when we were kids.” The lyrics descriptively transport you back in time to this summer house and the wistful romantic feelings it evokes. “Dusty cabin on the lake/Racing to jump off the pier/All grown and still/Feel so young inside/All these hellos/Sounding like goodbyes.” It’s a charming throwback to an innocent time.
“A Fine Surprise” is just that. Bass, acoustic, and electric guitars coalesce to create the mood in this song about a personal revelation. “You don’t have to take my word/The veil was lifted from my eyes/Seeing everything that I can see/Is such a fine surprise”. Goffin’s beautiful vocals remind the listener, “You don’t have to try so hard anymore/You don’t have to cry so hard anymore.”
In a deeply impassioned track, Goffin captivates her listener in “Bridge of Sighs”. The first verse immediately grabs you: “Is your love something that can be won?/When heaven knows how much I try/Or is there something that you’re keeping?/I say goodnight, you say goodbye.” The enthralling chorus likewise symbolizes Goffin’s lyrical skill. “Somewhere there’s a river/Where stars don’t want to shine/The postman don’t deliver/But I’m dancing out of the blue/On the bridge of sighs”. And then there’s the verse that has resonated with me since I first heard it. “Once I dreamt I saw my father/He said there are chains/You just can’t see/Told me to take good care/ Of the ones I love/I said ‘Who’s gonna take good care of me’?” These are uniquely thought provoking lyrics on a plane above those you hear in contemporary music.
Do yourself a huge favor and purchase this splendid album. You’ll play it every day for the rest of your life.
