BRAVE ENOUGH

I was a little worried at first when I saw the track listing and over half the songs had the words "feat. Some Person" appended to them. I was afraid that the multitude of new voices would overshadow her, losing what made me fall in love with her and her music in the first place. Thankfully, my fears were unfounded; Brave Enough is another strong album from a strong artist, and a worthy follow-up to her previous two albums. It's different, but that's the point: Lindsey's never been one to stick to one thing before, and I certainly don't see her starting to do so anytime soon. Those that are worried about it becoming just another pop album can breathe easy, as most of the songs are less "Shatter Me" in terms of vocal complexity, and more like "When the Stars Align". Each song has its own feel to it, which I'll spend the majority of this review trying to describe. Bear in mind that I am in no way a musical expert, or a musician, so Layman's terms is really all I got here. Ready? Here we go: "Lost Girls" A whimsical, mysterious track with some heavily processed vocals and a sweeping chorus. A solid start to a solid album. "Brave Enough" Probably the song closest to "Shatter Me" in terms of lyrical complexity. The words are vague enough to project your own feelings onto, but those looking for meaning will come up a little empty. Not a bad song in any way, but as the title track I expected something a little more bombastic and groundbreaking. "The Arena" Lindsey released the video for this song before the album debuted, and it took the world by storm. The only words I have for this song are "It's like if you took 'Transcendence', 'Beyond the Veil', and 'Roundtable Rival', threw them in a blender, and hit puree." So it's pretty good, is what I'm saying here. :D "The Phoenix" Lindsey returns to her violin dubstep roots with this one, and it's pretty fantastic. Fitting, considering the name. "Where Do We Go" I didn't find much meaning in Brave Enough, but I immediately identified with this one. The vocalist is awesome, and has a lot of heart in her voice. The only complaint is that you can barely hear the violin over everything else, even in the chorus. Overall though, I liked this one. "Those Days" Eh. Not bad, but nothing stellar. Again, the vocalist overshadows Lindsey's heartfelt playing. At least she takes over for the chorus this time. "Prism" Now this was a pleasant surprise! A quirky, upbeat little jaunt that so far hasn't failed to make me smile at least once. Sounds like something right out of LittleBigPlanet, which is huge praise from me. "Hold My Heart" A jazzy tune with another great vocalist and a chorus mostly that Lindsey mostly solos. Pretty good. "Mirage" A distinctly Arabian Nights themed track with trance-like vocals and a solid melody. Another pleasant surprise, and easily one of my favorites on the album this far. "Don't Let This Feeling Fade" When the rapper started doing his thing, my only reaction was a flat "What." As the song went on, though, it grew on me, and it's become one of my favorites the more I listen to it. Ends a little abruptly, though. "First Light" I'd compare this song to Anti-Gravity from her first album and Night Vision from Shatter Me, in the sense that there's no real gimmick or message, it's just Lindsey jamming out on the violin. And honestly, who could ask for more? "Love's Just A Feeling" This song feels like it belongs on another album, with the words "feat Lindsey Stirling" at the end. Its not bad, but it's pretty forgettable, especially considering what songs come next. "Something Wild" This song is just FANTASTIC! The piano, the vocals, the violin, the message, it all melds together to make what's easily the best track on the album. The fact that it's made for a Disney movie (Pete's Dragon) makes it even cooler and more triumphant, especially on a meta level. If there was ever a song that shows how far Lindsey's come from the dancing violinist on America's Got Talent, it would be this one. Uplifting, heartwarming, and grandiose. Simply amazing. "Gavi's Song" I can't put down my thoughts for this one because no words come to me when I listen to it. Only tears. RIP Gavi. The Verdict: It's not what I expected, but I ended up loving it anyways. There were a few times when I had to double-check the album I was listening to, because it didn't feel much like Lindsey Stirling. I know that the collabs on Shatter Me were a smash hit, but part of that was because of the people involved. Dia Frampton has a sweet, angelic-sounding voice, and Lzzy Hale fronts a freaking metal band! Those two had clearly-defined voices in a sea of artists, and Lindsey's songs with them were all the more awesome because of them. But in this one, there are so many more voices clamoring to say their part that it's a little hard to hear Lindsey through all of them at times. I can't even remember off the top of my head all the people that collaborated on this one; that's how many people had a hand on this one. That being said, Lindsey Stirling is still definitely shining like the star she always has been. Her violin compositions are as pleasing to the ear as ever, and the spark that compels her to push boundaries and defy genres is still intact, and still fantastic. I love that she's always willing to do something different, always willing to do something no one's ever done before. It all started when she had the idea of combining violin with hip-hop and dancing; a lot of artists would be content to just coast on that, but it's obvious Lindsey isn't one of them. And that's what makes her fantastic. The reason for the five stars is because you can tell that Lindsey loves doing these, that she loves experimenting and trying new things, and that she's not just doing it because she feels obligated to put content out there. So much of what's pumped out of the music industry these days is just mass-produced, market-tested, contractually-mandated noise that's lacking in heart, soul, and meaning. Lindsey Stirling makes sure that all three of those things that make music wonderful are front and center, and the result is an album that, while sometimes a little confused about what it's trying to be, has a lot of charm and life that you just have to admire. Lindsey Stirling continues to surprise me with each album. She's coming to Milwaukee this October: you can bet I'll be there!

This is Lindsey Stirling's most diverse album and probably her strongest. Lindsey shows a great maturity in this album, even taking second fiddle (tongue only half way in cheek) to some stellar vocal talent that ranges from very good to outstanding. Yet, at the end of the journey, the entire album is Lindsey's. You can hear her trademark style on every track, in every key change and every cadence. From the strong opening of Lost Girls to the inspiring The Arena and on through into the heartbreaking Gavi's Song, Lindsey solo's on 6 tracks and each one is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Always pushing the boundaries of what people assume a violin can do, Lindsey Stirling has an amazing ability to make her instrument not only sing, but prance, dance, thump, jump and twirl. Like every great musician she effortlessly elicits emotions from her listeners that they didn't even know they were able to feel for a relatively short piece of instrumental music. In a world of instant gratification listen-to-this-and-feel-how-I-tell-you-to, Lindsey makes songs you have to pause once they are over in order to think about what you've heard. In the way of guest performers, Lindsey has pulled out all of the stops for this album; perhaps not in terms of name power, but certainly in the way of vocal chops and pure talent. I've heard of only a few of these artists before, and thanks to the power of the internet, my music wishlist that is much larger now. Track by track it works out like this: Brave Enough: Christina Perri's work on the title track is haunting and wonderful; both inspiring and vulnerable. Where Do We Go: Carah Faye is amazing. She possess the ability to take the listener along with her, making the music seem like a shared chapter in her life. Those Days: Dan+Shay are clearly here to vocalize the specific thoughts that can't be brought across with an instrument alone and they take on that roll in classic style delivering a vocal that is the epitome of nostalgic rumination. Hold My Heart: ZZ Ward (and I'm a new member of her fan club) brings to mind the great jazz singers; sassy, sentimental, strong and sensual. Mirage: Raja Kumari was the only truly unknown quantity on this album for me and I was amazed at the skill and influence she brings to Mirage. This is a wonderful collaboration that makes the track memorable. Don't Let This Feeling Fade: Rivers Cuomo & Lecrae. Can Lindsey's modern violin meld with Pop vocals and Hip Hop? Yes! A world and universe of yes! Love's Just a Feeling: Every Lindsey Stirling song feels like it could be in a musical, if that's so, then this is Rooty's big “striking out” song, where she packs her bags and leaves for new horizons. Marvelous. Something Wild: Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and his work on Something Wild is really something to hear, a perfect melding of vocal and music in a true duet. In total, this is a wonderfully diverse album that explores a great many styles and ideas, but keeps the core idea of personal strength and power in the center. Of Lindsey Stirling's three albums, this is her most polished and certainly her most versatile. Well worth the price of admission.

I really love this album. Some songs I loved right from the start, and other songs have taken some warming up to. But overall it is excellent. I think it is fantastic that this album is "not like other Lindsey albums." It still has her voice, very strong and unique, but it's changing. I LOVE that Lindsey is a dynamic and changing musician who is unafraid to experiment and share her heart. I want to see her change and progress, not churn out twenty albums of all the exact same thing. The best part about this album is the vulnerability. She has talked a lot about her Brene Brown readings as being life changing, and I can really feel it in this music. (Look up Brene Brown if the name is not familiar. No, seriously, go do it now.) Her heart is very open through the songs, and I feel like I can connect to this album so much more because it echoes the common humanity in my heart. The emotional connection in these beautiful songs is astounding. Yeah, it's also great music, it's fun to listen to, and it expresses a wide range of emotions. But what makes it special is that on the other side of the beautiful compositions and great beats is another heart beating, and I can hear it. Bravo, Lindsey, for being "Brave Enough" to try new things and to share your heart so exquisitely through song. -Kat

I had to get this latest Album from the wonderful Lindsey Stirling and some people were saying that it's not very good so this was a bit of a concern, but I needn't of been worried because it's fantastic and it's very rare that any music that Lindsey does is a disappointment. We have the usual solo tracks and tracks with Artist's singing on, and like most albums you buy these days there are a couple of tracks that were good but wasn't excellent but I'm sure with a few more listens they will grow more on me. This album does really showcase her talent and although there are a few tracks which I wasn't initially over Wowed by, I still cannot give it less than 5 star's because the majority make up for these few, thank you Lindsey for yet another stunning album.

Je recommande

Lindsey is amazing

Disque bien protégé malgré le carton exterieur écrasé

Aardige cd met Lindsey op viool, en enkele nummers samen met andere artiesten. Bijna alle nummers vond ik verrassend goed!