Willett - Started Over

Stream Started Over here
Pre-order Started Over here
Read my review of In Love Alone and Burning Desire here

By now you will have hopefully fallen in love with what is one of the best shows of 2014 - MTV's Faking It. Spend a few minutes with the show and you'll find it's got real heart and soul, beautifully narrating the pitfalls of finding yourself during your teen years. Set to the backdrop of an uber inclusive Texan high school, there's not one character that isn't fully realised or fully presented with complexities, nuances & living breathing personalities. Even when the show verges towards the sublime (kidnapping a high school jock and keeping him in bondage gear for blackmail purposes? Those handcuffs? That gag?! My kinda show :P), it's never ridiculous. Ergo, picking your favourite actor from the show is like trying to pick a favourite from a litter of puppies - nigh on impossible. I'd give the edge to Michael Willett, however, who plays good hearted fella Shane - and as fate and good fortune would have it, the actor is also a singer which means we get to revel in his other creative endeavours too! I like that he sings under the moniker Willett - like presenting a different facet of his talent than when he's acting. His new single, Started Over, takes the themes of the show Faking It and extrapolates them into a heartfelt anthem about discovery, rediscovery and a jamming chorus that just won't quit. From the euphoric opening hand clap beats through to the glorious effusive production values, it's a song that feels like a massive smash from the get go - drawing the listener in immediately with Willett giving an intimate vocal as if he's singing directly to you. There's a melancholy to the lyrics as the journey causes anguish to relationships by hitting the reset button each time things get too intense or uncomfortable. When singing themes of this nature there is a danger of coming across unlikeable or a complete cad. Not so here - Willett performs with a wistful tenderness that infuses the words with remorse and regret. The prominent percussion, fuzzy jangling guitar and an arm waving chorus ensure this song isn't a downer and keeps an intriguing balance between the buoyant & introspective. You just know this is going to sound immense on the radio and I'm hoping a video will soon accompany the track because I want to see the talented young fella perform the heck out of this one. It's the gift that keeps on giving - a song that stays with you long after the record has finished.