Tom Fletcher - The Creakers (OST)

Buy The Creakers: Musical Edition here (Amazon GB)
Buy The Christmasaurus: Musical Edition here (Amazon GB)
Read my review of The Christmasaurus soundtrack here (myfestivepop)

Round about Hallowe'en last year, just when I decided it was acceptable to dig out my The Christmasaurus CD for another 60 days of obsessive listening, composer, creator and singer of that CD, Tom Fletcher, announced a musical edition of his non-festive book The Creakers. Now, I may not be the target audience for these type of books but I believe that Tom Fletcher has a gift for writing for all ages and eliciting a little bit of magic from within us all that we may have forgotten was there. Thus I was quite excited and though I had the season of sprouts and stuffing and stockings with stuff in to distract me, I've been impatiently awaiting the arrival of The Creakers in musical form ever since. I can honestly say it does not disappoint. As part of McFly, Tom and his pals gave us exquisitely catchy pop hooks, filled with wry humour, heart and enduring melodies. He does exactly the same in bringing his story of the creatures who live under your bed to life, yet infuses it with a theatricality that conjures up images of sumptuous stage shows and vivid performances in your mind's eye. While there is no substitute for reading the book and playing the songs when advised, here is a little overview to the wonderful music you'll be exposed to. No need to run and hide from these songs - they'll capture your heart before the first chorus is done...

• Don't Turn Out The Light ~ as if the stage curtains have come up, this first song is like the most glorious opening number in a musical you have yet to experience. Bold piano chords, electrifying guitar and a peppy pace provide the energetic score. Tom sings lyrics which perfectly set the scene for the narrative which is about to unfold whilst newcomers Chapter 13 provide some rather brilliant textured harmonies (and, presumably, some of those riveting guitar riffs and pulsing percussion). It all coalesces to make a rollicking romp which is an exhilarating start to this soundtrack.
• Badges ~ anyone who has ever collected the titular badges of this song as a reward for doing well at school, participating in groups, or just rewarding yourself with the free gift from the latest issue of Smash Hits, you will appreciate this buoyant, gleeful ode. It zips along at a breathtaking pace, almost challenging the listener to learn every single word until they are lip sync perfect. PS, lovely poignant moment of longing in the middle 8 we will surely all recognise and relate to.
• We Own This Town ~ there's no denying that Carrie Hope Fletcher is a national treasure. I mean she just charted on the singles sales chart with a song from the Heathers musical for crying out gosh sake. She deserves similar success for this assertive, hand clap, rock infused anthem - the best Girls Aloud song they never recorded. She radiates sassy attitude throughout her vocal tour de force and you are just compelled to line up behind her and join in her rallying call to arms. Immense.
• Lucy's Lullaby ~ while there were hooks and melodies a plenty on The Christmasaurus, some of the most lasting moments were the tender songs. This is also true of The Creakers and Lucy's Lullaby is the perfect example of that. The instrumental feels like you've opened your mum's most treasured music box, the singing is as heartfelt and sincere as your dad watching over you to ensure you sleep safe and sound. It is the type of song the words enchanted and charming were invented for and I'm utterly smitten.
• Down Below ~ this song is giving me all sorts of Les Miserables-Master Of The House realness (which, quite honestly, is one of the finest compliments you can pay a song). Dramatic strings accentuate the world bought to life by the song by sung by actual real life creakers, so one can only pay kudos to Mr Fletcher for braving their stinky world to capture their daily sing-along. I'm sure these monsters won't mind you doing a chorus line leg kick to the increasing tempo of the last chorus run through. What a treat.
• Home Doesn't Feel Like Home ~ sometimes the things you longed for aren't always as you pictured in your imagination and, therefore, you start yearning for the way things used to be. This sweeping ballad is the musical manifestation of those feelings, beautifully sung Disney princess style by Carrie Hope Fletcher. It is one of those songs which you can't wait to discover every nuanced sentiment of, yet feels like an old friend come to visit. An example of classic composition which will endure through the years and get passed from generation to generation, accompanied by stories of what the song has meant to them. If you aren't leaping off your chair to give a standing ovation by the end you might want to check your pulse.
• The Creaker Way ~ look, as a species, humans haven't always been the most welcoming to those of us who are different. But where you see differences, you will always find people with true kindness and friendship in their hearts. Once you've listened to this song, you'll be thinking that although rotten eggs on toast might blight us, their scintillating music will unite us. You'll be shimmying along to their indelible refrains and immersing yourself in the Creaker way.
• Everything You Never Wanted ~ Vaudevillian! That is the word I've been searching for and the chorus of this song bought it right to the front of my cerebral cortex. In the fantastical, Tom manages to uncover thoughts and secrets locked inside us and brings them to the surface through brilliantly catchy music. There's a frisson of danger to the mesmerising dance of the music, yet the danger that somehow compels you to explore more because of the adrenaline rush it gives you. The payoff for this song is that you will be singing it all the live long day.
• Once Upon A Memory ~ I'm of the school that believes Afraid of Heights should have been the four week Christmas number one in 2017 (see The Christmasaurus soundtrack). This is the type of timeless, inspiring ballad which used to be a standard of the top 40. That doesn't mean it is dated, it just means that Tom knows how to pull elements of music together and wrap them round his gorgeous lyrics to ensure that his songs aren't just something you fleetingly recall once upon a memory. They become an indelible part of your life's soundtrack, whether you are a Creaker, Christmasaurus or mere wonderful human.
• Different ~ the theme of embracing all the marvellous contrasting, diverse and disparate things which uniquely make up each person on this planet. This is an I am what I am anthem for a new generation of folk, a utopia of a song which we should all aspire to adhere to. Required listening on a daily basis to raise your spirits and remind you of the indomitable human spirit of love that resides within everyone. A glorious end to a magnificent musical story. Tom Fletcher is a raconteur of the highest calibre. We can - and should- just bask in his reflective glory.