Pop Potential: Asher Monroe ~ Make It Alright

At this point, you think I would find it really difficult to write new things about the music Asher Monroe releases online. I've been rather emphatic and exuberant in my appreciation of his fine tunes in the past, and sometimes wonder whether it becomes redundant because I'm yet to be disappointed by anything he puts out. After the sparkling pop of Here With You & Hello Baby, this "bonus" track (Make It Alright - released online to thank fans and as a nifty little stop gap whilst we all impatiently await the release of Hush Hush) sees Asher embrace his r'n'b side and incorporate Michael Jackson and Motown influences into his sound. And in that sense it's a timeless piece of music that also has a contemporary sheen to it, with it's shuffling groove, subtle electro touches & falsetto vocals. Lyrically it's a beautifully crafted tale of becoming the strong one in a relationship; piecing back the fragility of your loved one (and the pain it causes to see that person unhappy). I particularly love how the second verse hints at the shift within the relationship, detailing how perhaps the roles were once reversed and it's the patience & understanding of the other half that a) has perhaps led to their uncertainty and b) has given Asher the strength to be the comforting one. It's this level of well rounded, and sometimes complex, songwriting that engages the listener and also gets them thinking. The production is also top notch - the music in the verses creates a simmering vibe where the eightbeat synth additions add an underscore of tension that mirrors the uncertainty of the relationship woes - however, by the chorus as the quiet storm nature of the track soars into an epic refrain there's a real sense of hope and future (particularly in the build up from the middle 8 where strings lead into the massive crescendo of one final run through of the chorus). And of course there's Asher's outstanding vocal work here - he changes from tender to pleading to emphatic to powerhouse emotion without skipping a beat. He becomes the song and once again, demonstrates his versatility as a performer and as a skilled storyteller in a variety of musical backdrops. Just bring on the album already because the wait is killing me...

(Expect more on Asher when the video for Hush Hush drops)...