Music Review: Ingrid Michaelson "Afterlife"

Ingrid Michaelson

Afterlife

Album: Lights Out

Year: 2014

           Ingrid Michaelson believes life is a gift in the  cold   “Afterlife.”

                 Uplifting synths open the single, setting a bouncy tone. She invites her friend to go out for a night of karoake. Her friend shakes her head no. She had an awful week at work and the thought of getting up in front of people it tiring. She tells her they’ll have fun anyway. They’ll be silly and goofy. It’ll be something to remember. (“When the world is breaking down around you/Taking everything that you know/What you didn't know/Is that we can go forever if we want to/We can live inside of a moment/The one that we own.”)

             In the pre-chorus, she says they are on the right track and have good lives. (“You and me we got this/You and me we're beautiful, beautiful.”)

                      In the chorus, she says she and her friend life is the heaven. They have places around the world to visit and their families. There is plenty here for them. They will get past their troubles. (“We all, we all, we're gonna be alright/We got, we got, we always got the fight in us/We all, we all, we're gonna live tonight/Like there's no tomorrow cause we're the afterlife.”)

                 People can have a fatalistic outlook. They’ll take dangerous risks to prove a point. However, it’s actually avoiding reality. While taking a break from the singing, she makes a toast: to new beginnings. (“Living like you're dying isn't living at all/Give me your cold hands put them on my heart/Raise a glass to everyone who thinks/They'll never make it through this life/To live a brand-new start.”)

        The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

        On the way to work, she hears Stereo M.C.’s “Connected.” It’s a connection to her best friend. It reminds her of when they first heard it and danced around for hours. (“Every time I close my eyes I hear your favorite song/Telling me not to run, not to worry anymore/I can hold on tight to nothing better than the rest/So it's now or never more.”)

                   An extended chorus ends the single. (“We all, we all, we're gonna be alright/We got the fight in us/We all, we all, we're gonna live tonight/Like there's no tomorrow cause we're the afterlife/We all, we all, we're gonna be alright/We got, we got, we always got the fight in us/We all, we all, we're gonna live tonight/Like there's no tomorrow cause we're the afterlife/Cause we're the afterlife/Cause we're the afterlife/We all, we all, we're gonna be alright/We got, we got, we always got the fight in us/We all, we all, we're gonna live tonight/Like there's no tomorrow cause we're the afterlife.”)

                  Michaelson, although hopeful, seems to be going throug the motions. She says the words but there’s too much sadness to actually believe her.

               The  fading  “Afterlife” doesn’t have much zest.