Asher Monroe - On My Way Part 2 (EP)

Buy Asher Monroe's On My Way Part 2 EP here (Amazon)
Buy Asher Monroe's On My Way Part 1 EP here (iTunes)
Read my thoughts on Part 1 here, here and here

Before you even get to the music there are a few things utterly compelling about Asher Monroe's latest EP "On My Way (Part 2)". Firstly there's the title - not only is it a nod to the themes of dealing with love, mistakes, regret and redemption that he sings of in both parts of these EP releases (on his way to being the man he - and his lover - want him to be), but it's also a testament to the fame game he is playing; that he's determined to be the biggest and best pop star that he can be, the brightest and most entertaining pop star that his long term and new admirers deserve. There's an unwavering confidence and faith in that title that is entirely warranted. On his way? It is surely only a matter of time before he arrives. This leads us to the second element of this release that stands out even before you hit play - that stunning cover image. Now *THAT* screams ARRIVAL. It's pure rock star with pop star finesse. The swagger and intensity of the facial expression is illuminated by those radiant beams; meanwhile his stance parlays the pure energy that he puts into his performances giving you an intrinsic insight into the man behind the music. You get the impression you've put your faith in him and this cover art is his channelling of that support - his this-is-it moment captured on camera. And of course his hair, as one would expect, is utterly flawless ;) But of course this is about the music as much as it is the man - and there are five excellent songs here that chart different moments of relationships that all will be able to relate to...

• SOULMATE ~ the EP opener is a corker, setting the tone for the quality that follows. In a way it feels like the spiritual successor to his 2012 smash Here With You as well his Billboard chart hit Memory. Lyrically, it continues Asher's quest to find that perfect person who is out there waiting for you - someone who will appreciate you for who you are, love your weaknesses & turn them into celebratory successes. I also love how there is an urgency about this quest - that the potential for love is so overpowering that it must be acted on instantly (allowing the lyrics to be interpreted as looking for the right one, but enjoying the right now too - if you know what I mean ;) It's all set to this propulsive, almost tribal percussive beat that gallops forward with singular intent while electro synths cascade like shooting stars across a dark night sky. "Questions need answers like discos need dancers" sings Asher with a voice so expressive & fueled with pop that speakers must weep with gratitude each time his songs seep through them - and thus one of 2015's most catchy lyrics is born in a middle 8 that simmers with effusive energy before bursting into that all consuming chorus one final time. It's an utterly euphoric pop tune that clocks in at exactly 3 minutes (how apt that this mirrors one of my favourite songs about love of all time - Abba's Waterloo) leaving you plenty of time to hit repeat, grab the one you love (or love right now) and shimmy. HARD. To quote Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake, love never felt so good. Merci beaucoup Asher Monroe ;)
• F*CKED UP (ft Sean Kingston) ~ This mid-tempo groove focuses on the mistakes we make that can destroy the very things that matter most to us. Asher has always been at his best when he opens up and reveals the more candid side of his soul & here he gives a devastatingly insightful peek into his emotions after his lady has up and left. Set to a gorgeous intricate piano riff and a vibrant percussion, it allows Asher's plaintive vocals to guide the melody of the song with a sweet sorrow. There's a faint reggae vibe in the chorus and the addition of Sean's vocals is pure manna from the pop gods. The instrumental becomes quite buoyant which is in juxtaposition to the more sombre nature of the lyrics - what this serves to do is remind us how life goes on regardless of the turmoil we are going through. It's a genuinely engaging tune that Asher performs with a nuanced pathos that really bring the lyrics to life. It's instantly memorable and a late contender for one of the top tunes of the year. Nigh on impossible to just play once. Hit repeat and experience the satisfaction of singing the most visceral word to describe life's worst mistakes.
• NOBODY ELSE ~ Asher is in full seduction mode with this song, channelling the influences of Prince with a glorious falsetto and alluring backing track that is so sensuous you'll be purring in pleasure. Gently repetitive piano chords bounce gently alongside a hypnotic percussion which allows Asher's impassioned vocal to accentuate the pleasing top line notes that the song brings. "Love me like you never loved nobody else" is infused by a desire and intensity in the singing that the emotions are almost tangible. A song about making love should emulate and stimulate the subject matter and there's a crescendo within the music that feels like the rhythmic motion of two bodies entwined, lost in a moment that's solely their own. Rather than feel like a voyeur, however, the song becomes your very own soundtrack to the most lustful, loving moments in your own life - or the music that your own fantasies are created to. Asher has crafted a song that feels more exotic and erotic, more well written than any 50 Shades of Grey novel or screenplay could ever hope to be.
• SIGN YOUR LOVE ~ In a 2 EP set full of stand outs Sign Your Love has to be one of my favourite songs here (and absolutely demands to be a single in it's own right with a rather splendid accompanying video if you will). If Soulmate is the lyrical successor to Memory then this is the musical follow up. Throwback to sumptuous disco abounds with a tantalising groove that invades every synapse of your being, like cool waves crashing onto warm sand on a hot summer day. It's handclap, finger click magnificence as Asher pledges his declaration of intent to a hook-laden chorus that would be all too hard to resist. His rapid repeat of "do you love do you love do you love me now" adds to the swirling magic that the music is so effortlessly creating. As the world prepares for a new Giorgio Moroder album, Asher does a more than exquisite job of recreating that sound with a contemporary flourish - now if we could just get Giorgio to do a remix then this would be pop nirvana at it's very finest. Regardless, it's still a very good indeed pop song that deserves to be a gigantic chart smash. Our disco needs you!
• BYE BYE ~ the EP closes with another incredible track that feels like it should be playing in heavy rotation on the radio right now. Against the stark realisation of how horrible the world can be, Asher commits to living his life to the full - with friends, with family, with lovers. It's an ode to making the most of the opportunities that present themselves and ergo very in keeping with the titular theme of On My Way. Sometimes you just need this empowering type of anthem in your life to dust off the doldrums of a bad day and focus on the positive (something Asher promotes regularly on his twitter feed so this feels like a very natural extension of his own personal philosophy). While the state of the world may cause melancholy and dismay, everything about this song ends up being both joyful AND triumphant - ensuring that the EP ends on a giddy high, leaving you breathless for more.

(Note - it occurred to me that there's another throwback within the set up of part one and two of this EP: it does feel like the old school vinyl A and B side of one cohesive album that's all killer no filler. An excellent piece of work from the likeable, talented dude and hopefully a soaring start to his 2015).

(Read an interview with Asher discussing Part Two here at Digital Journal. Note - gratuitous but entirely welcome topless pic of Asher is enclosed :D)