Tunes & Tales: Louder

This month, I'm spotlighting Lea Michele and her debut album, Louder. I've been a fan of Lea's since her days in Spring Awakening, and followed her career through its ups and down as she starred in the hit TV show Glee. Her album spotlights her incredible vocals, but more than that, it showcases raw emotion and a bit of storytelling too.

Cannonball // The Blue Castle

"Freedom; I let go of fear and the peace came quickly

Freedom; I was in the dark and then it hit me

I chose suffering and pain in the falling rain

I know, I gotta get out into the world again"

On My Way // Last Will and Testament

"When my head tells me no

My heart tells me go

So I'm hitting the road 'cause I -

I know my heart's too drunk to drive but I'm on my way to you."

Burn with You // Crash Into You

"But I don't wanna go to heaven

If you're going to hell

I will burn with you

I will burn with you."

Battlefield // After I Do

"We both know it's coming

Does illusion count for something we hide?

The surface tension's gotta break,

One drop is all it takes to flood out this lie."

You’re Mine // Blue-Eyed Devil

"And I told you all my dreams and fears

And you looked at me and your eyes filled with tears

And you said those three words I'd been waiting for

You became a part of me."

Thousand Needles // Breathe Annie Breathe

"Like a thousand needles in my heart

Whenever time sets us apart

And now my world just crashing down

Now that I can't have you around"

Louder // No Place to Fall

"Come out of the shadow

Step into the light

This could be the moment

Are you ready to fight?"

Cue the Rain // This Shattered World

"The city was on fire for us

We would've died for us

Up in flames; cue the rain

In my heart, little sparks

Everywhere that you are

Up in flames; cue the rain"

Don’t Let Go // Anna and the French Kiss

"I know we pull, pull, pull on each other

Sometimes, we spin, spin out of control

But there's a string holding us together

Just gotta catch that, and here we go"

Empty-Handed // Daughter of the Forest

"All I've ever known is how to hide a secret

But I'm tired of going on without believing

And love is not illusion, love illuminates the blind"

If You Say So // Things We Know by Heart

"And I can't get away from the burning pain,

I like awake.

And the fallen hero haunts my thoughts,

How could you leave me this way?"

What is Love // Something Borrowed

"You play the role; I play the lead

We strike a pose; I was too blind to see

This ain't what it seems"

Gone Tonight // Dare You To

"But it's gone tonight

Nothing in the way

Go forward, forward

Nothing not to say

It's our world, our world

Trouble's gone tonight

Right under the bridge like water, water

Promising to love you harder, harder, harder"

The Bells // The Sky is Everywhere

"I can't break the spell

I still hear you every place

Can't forget what I saw in your face

I know every inch so well"