Cimorelli, the Nashville-based girl-band made up of six talented sisters, is here to brighten up your holiday season. The band’s second full-length album, titled Alive, was made available through their PledgeMusic page on Tuesday, December 20th. Alive is also the second album Cimorelli released in 2016, as their debut album, Up At Night, came out in May. The band describes Alive as “a positive, uplifting collection of life songs and some worship songs”. It focuses on new themes and taps into different emotions than those seen on Up At Night, but it still seems like a natural progression for the group to take in their music career.
Being very outspoken and passionate about their faith, it makes sense for the band to convey those feelings in their music. The album embodies everything the girls stand for as both individuals and artists- most notably faith and positivity. However, don’t be fooled- it’s far from sugar-coated happiness. The band addresses some serious issues on this album, including suicide and addiction. They acknowledge the pain, loneliness, and hopelessness that comes hand in hand with being human, and offer strong messages of encouragement, hope, and healing.
One of the standout songs on the album is “One More Night”, written almost entirely by the band’s youngest member, Danielle Cimorelli. She got the idea for the song after talking with a fan on Twitter who was contemplating suicide. The song is a powerful plea to the listener to keep on fighting, similar to the message conveyed in previous songs “You’re Worth It” and “Worth The Fight”. At some points, it is like a chant of encouragement, the mantra of “one more night” repeating over and over. It’s strong and direct message definitely makes it one of the most powerful songs on the album.
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The beauty of Alive is that it is relatable to anyone that is, well, alive. Many of the songs are about issues that almost everyone struggles with at some point in their lives. A prime example is “Kick the Habit”, a song that focuses on the struggles of having an addiction, or even just a bad habit. The inspiring prospect of new beginnings and the message of “admit the problem, take action” is applicable to virtually everyone in some way.
There are several Christian worship songs on the album that discuss the relationship the girls have with God and some highs and lows in their faith journey. “Your Name is Forever”, “Never Let Me Fall” and “My God is Here” all discuss the strength and motivation their faith gives them, complete with powerful choruses and angelic harmonies. At the risk of potentially isolating listeners of other faiths, being so open and vulnerable about their faith on several tracks marks significant progress for the band. The religious themes they explore in depth in Alive expand upon the sole worship song “Brave Heart” they included on their first album.
Alive isn’t focused on love and relationships as much as Up At Night, but it still touches on the subjects eloquently in a couple tracks. Written by Lisa Cimorelli, “Love of a Man” is a heartbreaking song about simply wanting to be loved, and the hardship of realizing you gave too much of yourself away in the process. The vocals are raw, emotional, and in some instances, tear-jerking. On the other hand, “Find Me” is a sweet, intimate anthem about trying to find a soulmate, featuring touching lyrics such as “every struggle, every goodbye, every heartbreak, it’s all for you”.
As you would expect, the title track, “Alive”, sums up the album quite well. The song could be seen as a continuation of “One More Night”, a documentation of what takes place after the decision to fight through the pain. Through the definitive lyric “I feel because I’m alive”, a comforting conclusion is made. All of the emotions usually deemed negative, including the themes of hopelessness and sadness discussed on the rest of the album, are ultimately what makes someone human.
Overall, Alive is an inspirational feel-good album, still laced with the reality and raw emotions we’re used to from Cimorelli. They don’t gloss over the issues discussed, instead offering comfort and genuine advice on how to improve through faith, hope, and love. As Cimorelli themselves have said: “…all who hear Alive will experience a rush of hope and gratitude at the beauty of being human.” What better time to experience that than during the holiday season?
You can purchase Alive on Cimorelli’s PledgeMusic page. The girls have also just written their first book, titled “Lessons Learned: A Collection of Stories, Encouragement, and Lessons We’ve Learned”. Featuring personal stories and life advice, the book is also available to order on the band’s PledgeMusic page.
What are your thoughts on Cimorelli’s new album, “Alive”? Share your opinions with us on Twitter @CelebMix.