Hopes of Heaven, Fears of Hell

I don't normally get into watching "American Idol" anymore. It seems that no matter who wins, they can't seem to come out with a memorable album and the ones who don't win fare better than the ones that do. But everyone at work watches and seems to get into it and when in Rome...

So I started watching this year for the first time since Clay Aiken came in number two. (Yes, I am one of the three people in the world who actually like Clay Aiken's voice) I have to admit I usually do watch the first couple of weeks of AI because of all the weird people who audition. Now, I cannot sing my way out of a paper bag and there is no way that I would subject anyone to my voice. But if I were going to audition, I think I would record myself singing first before going on national television to make a fool of myself. Anyway...

This year, however, I became immediately enthralled by Josiah Leming. Yeah, he lived in his car, sang Grace Kelly, didn't make the top 24 and all that but that is not what captured my attention. It is his music. To be honest, I don't particularly care for his voice but he sings with his soul and that is what gets to me. And the lyrics he writes are so raw and filled with emotion, not to mention almost eerily prophetic. I expect great things from him.

So far, this is my favorite, (I'm sure he will write others)...One Last Song, along with the lyrics. Enjoy...

The ship was sinking; we were drinking, singing one last song,
Casting our gold into the ocean.
You grabbed a bucket, started screaming, "Come on, come on",
Let's try to slow the downward motion.
Back in the kingdom, we were kings and queens and Oh, so strong
That God himself could not contain us.
We never thought we'd be the shorter end of sword and gun.
Now God himself could never save us.

Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming down to take me,
To separate my body from my soul
And Jesus either leaves or takes me.
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
What's the chance I'll make it.
All my other plans have failed,
And I've tried so hard to fake it.

We started sinking, drinking water from the open sea
Losing our bodies to the ocean.
You grabbed my hand and started screaming, "rescue me"
Together fight the downward motion.
Back in the kingdom we were kings and queens and Oh, so free
That god himself just had to show us.
We never thought we'd be the colder side of land and sea
But He's the only one who knows us.

Waves of silver, waves of gold
Are coming down to take me,
To separate my body from my soul
And Jesus either leaves or takes me.
Hopes of heaven, fears of hell
And what's the chance I'll make it.
All my other plans have failed,
And I tried so hard to fake it.

Comments

[Jough]

Not a bad song, although not really his own style. Sounds like someone else I know? Also, he should slow it down a little bit. Sounds like he's rushing.

[Pandora]

I agree...he needs to get a little more polished. Right now, he sounds really raw and with lots of emotion but I think that is what people like. If you listen to more of his songs, he does seem to rush and then slow down (almost too much...which makes the songs sound disjointed) so I don't know if that is what he wants to do or if he just wants to get the song overwith. I'm not sure how to read it. Who do you think he sounds like? Coldplay? Snow Patrol? His music is definately Coldplay inspired, I think.

I think his lyrics are awesome...like poetry. I'm just not too crazy about his singing. Take this song for example. On one level, it can refer to the loss of faith or of love. On another level, it can refer to the economic destruction of America. Or it can refer to the death experience. Or it can just be about a shipwreck. But interperating song lyrics is like interperating the Bible...they can mean practically anything you want them to mean.

[Alyson Sage]

I like his music a lot. His lyrics are deep and intense, his voice is odd and he puts so much of himself into the song.
I don't think he's purposely changing the tempo, I think it's because he doesn't have anything to keep him on beat. I think he gets so into the song that he subconciously speeds up. It's like reading an Edgar Allen Poe poem - the words are so intense that you start to read them faster and faster, if that makes sense.
When I first heard his batch of song, I thought his style sounded a lot like Keane.