Topic: "Shatter Me", Lindsey Stirling (Target Deluxe Release)
I picked up Lindsey Stirling's new album yesterday at Target. I'm not a huge fan of retailer exclusives, whether it be tracks on a CD exclusive to Target or a car in Forza specific to Best Buy (and another to Amazon and another to GameStop and another to...), but it is what it is. Grabbed it in-person because preordering the last one through Target was a mess (someone sent me a Facebook message a couple weeks after it dropped saying he got my copy, after Target had refunded me... told him to keep it at that point).
Anyway. Enough stories. How's the album?
If you own Ms. Stirling's self-titled debut album (or... have seen every video on her channel, as all but Zi-Zi's Journey is already featured there), and enjoy it, then you'll enjoy this. I really like it, but... well. Shatter Me is more of the same. When the first video from the album came out last month, "Beyond the Veil", I immediately heard a lot of her hit "Crystallize". That continues through the album, creating "Gotcha" moments. "Oh, you thought you were listening to 'Shadows'? Surprise! It's 'V-Pop'." "It might sound like 'Elements', but it's actually 'Take Flight'! Bonus, the orchestral versions of each are similar too!" "Actually, this isn't a Pepsi, it's new Pepsi Twist!" I will give it a pass with "Ascendance", cribbing from one of Stirling's earliest tracks ("Transcendence"), but because of the similarity of name I assume they're somewhat connected for her and look forward to a music video for it expanding on that.
That being said, I still definitely enjoy it. It's got what you like, and if she enjoys doing it and I enjoy listening to it, I can't get my panties in too much of a (Pepsi) twist. The title track, "Shatter Me", is especially fun; Stirling toyed with vocals on "Stars Align" from the last album, but it was more of a support to the electronica and violin; with "Shatter Me" guest artist Lzzy Hale's vocals take the stage front and center, with Stirling's violin just a leeeetle bit off to the side. The other track on the album with guest vocals, "We Are Giants" featuring Dia Frampton, didn't do it for me, but I think that was more personal taste than anything against the song itself.
Oh, and there's a track that seems like juvenile screwing around in the studio... titled "Swag". Not the best, not terrible, I'm interpreting it ironically.
If you enjoyed Lindsey Stirling then by all means go out (or stay in - iTunes) and get Shatter Me. Just don't expect anything, well, Earth shattering.
