Album Review: “Life Screams” by Lacey Sturm

I’ve been meaning to do this review earlier this month but I’ve had a lot going on with my other posts, so it kind of got lost with the other unfinished posts.

How about I give you some background information on the lovely Lacey Sturm! She’s a mother, author, speaker and an amazing singer. She fronted the rock band Flyleaf from the formation in 2000 to 2012. After releasing her book The Reason: How I Discovered A Life Worth Living in 2014, she set her eyes on creating new music with her husband Josh! The result “Life Screams” came out on February 12th!

Let’s get on with the review, shall we?

The song that starts off the album is the first single she released back in November (on my birthday to be exact!) called “Impossible” and I actually did a song review of that track, so I’m not going to be sharing my thoughts about it on this post. If you want to read what I thought about it, click here! Onto the second track called “The Soldier” and it’s got a great message behind it, I love the line “I might die today, but I’m gonna die anyway.” It reminds me of what our soldiers do whenever they go to war, they have the same mindset because that’s what sacrifice is all about, they’re willing to give up their lives for us. It’s very interesting that she brought it out in this song. The next is “I’m Not Laughing” and I actually like this one. There’s a part in the beginning that kind of mimics a clown clacking, I found that very cool! It has a very circus feel to it, despite the honest concept behind it. One thing I don’t like about it though is that she sounds like her voice is going to come out of her throat, like she’s forcing it out of her and I love her screams, but that was intense!

The next isn’t exactly a song, more like a skit or intro to the song after it. It’s called “Vanity” and it sounds like Lacey and maybe her husband speaking normally, acting like they’re going to break up. They’re not by the way! I don’t normally like skits, but it does give you an interesting vibe before the next song starts, which is called “Rot” and it has this dark theme going through it and I love it! The stumping sound going throughout is amazing! I love this song! That’s all I can say about it! These next two songs and I’m really sorry I’m even saying out loud, reminded me Of Mice & Men’s tracks on the most recent album “Restoring Force.” The first is called “You’re Not Alone” and it has very a somber feeling to it, but I love it! I like the lyrics to this one more than I thought I would. My favorite placement is the chorus! The next is “Feels Like Forever” and I love the introduction to this one! It has very interesting electronic sounds intertwining with the building guitars and drums! This could be another favorite of mine!

The next is a slower song that I actually accepted with arms wide open, because I thought Lacey has a gorgeous voice to belt it out for these easy-going melodies. This is the title track, “Life Screams” and it is absolutely beautiful! It has a dark theme going but it’s more like melancholy. It’s interesting. The next track is another slow one; it’s called “Faith” and I don’t really like it. Although I say that now, because there’s a 50% chance that could change in a few more weeks. I just don’t like it, sorry! The next is cover of “The Police” and I have to say before we get into this song, my Uncle David and my mom have a tendency of singing this song every once in a while, mostly because Dave and my Aunt Katt named their cat Roxanne “Roxi” and honestly it is her song! Anyways, it’s a live cover and it sound ahh-mazing sung by Lacey! Last but not least is a song called “Run To You” which is another ballad, almost acoustic tune, that sounds so beautiful! Ughh!

The album as a whole is pretty good! I was afraid that it would sound like a Flyleaf album (as everyone was thinking) but it wasn’t and you got that vibe from the start of it, with “Impossible” that this would be totally different from her time in Flyleaf. I feel she’s much stronger on her own, with her husband, and with Skillet’s own Korey Cooper on writing the lyrics for each song. If you need a new rock album, I would definitely recommend you pick up “Life Screams” right now!

What do you think of Lacey’s first solo record? Did you love it or hate it? Tell me, this girl wants to know!

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Song Review: “Impossible” by Lacey Sturm

After Lacey left Flyleaf, I was sad like everybody else but I was very supportive of her and the band’s decision. She had her second son, was featured in We As Human’s song “Take The Bullets Away” and released a book; her time away from Flyleaf doesn’t seem like a vacation, the woman’s been working and busy being a mom and loving wife to her husband Josh. I’ve been patiently waiting for new music from Lacey Sturm. When she announced that Sirius XM Octane was going to play her first single from her debut album as a solo artist on my birthday I thought, “oh crap! I’m going to miss it.” And I did just that. Everytime I would switch my TV to Octane it would at the end of the song. It took me FIVE days to hear the damn song as a whole, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Surprisingly, I didn’t have any expectations for this song before I heard it. I love Lacey’s voice, it has an innocent quality to it if that makes sense. You don’t expect it to be such a powerhouse like it is. Everybody loves her screams, she’s infamous for them. I even love them just as the next person but I’m glad that while I was listening to “Impossible” those screams were in the background. I find that after a singer has left a band, it can be tricky to not compare the music and lyrics to the work with the band. I’m happy to say I can find the divider between works. It’s very positive–lyric wise. The sound of it over all is amazing, it has everything I like basically. The creepy intro, harsh screams, and keeps my attention from beginning to end.

So what do you think of Lacey’s first single?

Song Review: “Thread” by Flyleaf

So if you heard Tuesday little post for this week’s Tune Tuesday. You know we’re talking the American rock band Flyleaf and the two singers they’ve had. Tuesday it was about their first singer Lacey Sturm. Now it’s about Kristen May.

I’ll be honest I had a lot of questions about the quality of Kristen’s new role. First thing I remember doing was look up music from her first band Vedera, and I was completely surprised with her. She was VERY different from Lacey, but not in a bad way. As a listener to a lot of music I can accept change a little more simpler than most. I love how she’s more melodic and softer voice whereas Lacey has the screams and her own sound. They’re both very different singers and when they started doing live shows with her, I was on YouTube trying to find videos of her doing those screams that everybody knows and loves. That was one of the first things the band came out with when they first made the announcement of adding her to the group was that she could scream. She can do it, but I honestly don’t think she should. Not that she’s any good, but I think her voice is better without it.

They released an EP called “Who We Are” with Kristen on lead last year, they recorded a new song with her vocals and new lyrics called “Something Better” with another rock band P.O.D. (Payable On Death) lead singer Sonny Sandoval, plus three old school Flyleaf tracks that were from live shows but with Kristen’s voice. It was a nice way of showing fans who had accepted Kristen into the band that has a great voice to fill Lacey’s shoes. Anyways, they’ve recently released their second single of their new album “Between The Stars” last fall. The second song is called “Thread” and it’s a lot softer and not as heavy as “Set Me On Fire” was, I generally love having a big powerful first single, especially with a new singer. It gives the listeners a nice taste of what’s to come in the album once it’s released. “Thread” is an ideal second single as the softer melody and lyrics are catchier. I think it’s a lot safer sound wise. It does have its good points to it, I really love Kristen’s vocals and the guitars, but meaning of the song is kind of lost. That’s all I didn’t like about it.

What do you think about Kristen? Do you like “Thread?” 

Afternoon Out + Day In

It was Monday. It’s a day that everybody just dreads after a good weekend, or just a weekend ends period. After not completing last week’s episode of Witches Of East End I kind of wasn’t into watching the new episode last night or this morning. So I kind of forgot about it being a Sunday altogether. I did though, taped Total Divas and watched that morning. I already had plans to go outside today before I even went to bed, so when I woke up at 9am, and my room was partly dark because the clouds had shielded the sun away. When I rolled over onto my back my mood and had intentions of going outside again was still intact. I ended up just started asking everyone if it was going to rain or not. Thankfully, the rain kept away long enough that I got to enjoy a good three hours outside. Not many times were I’m outside when it could potently rain or storm. The weather was breezy and cool, as the sun wasn’t out all but twice, I wasn’t too bothered by it though. It just felt good to be out of the house and around the cats.

I think they like the attention they get when one of us goes outside to spend some time with them. They’re getting used to my wheelchair, especially the unexpected turns I tend to make while on the porch and backyard. I could literally be there on the front porch for more than five minutes and all five cats will be on the porch, either lying on the ground or looking into the screen door, hoping somebody will either let them inside or feed them. Midget is starting to turn into her mommy, as she’s starting to climb on the screen door and window now. Which is very interesting because Midget doesn’t really do well indoors. Grumpy is more a indoors cat then his sister, if my door is closed to keep them in my room to visit, she tries everything to possibly to get out of there. She doesn’t like being locked in at all. Grumpy has his moments. He likes cuddling more than anything. He’ll reach up to you with his front paws and meow and purr to get you to pet him. He’s kind of taken over the role of our old cat Tubby, we don’t see him anymore and if he does come around he’s very scared of people and freaks out. It’s kind of sad honestly because he was one of the sweetest cats and loved getting cuddles too. Anyways, when Midget and her sister Stef wee little, they liked to follow me from one part of the yard to the other, like seriously! You’d swear they were racing me! It was so cute! I love doing it with Midget still, I literally caught myself looking over my shoulder and seeing her far back behind me, if I think she’s not going to try to race me she proves me wrong by scaring the shit out of me and running as fast as she can next up to the house. One of these days, we’re going to run into each other because my wheels will probably get caught on the tree roots. That would be an awkward scene to explain to my parents. “How the hell did you run over the cat’s paws?” “Oh, I got caught on the damn tree roots.” Lame.

Our two littlest babies, Kells and Stormy are getting used to my wheelchairs. Kells loves laying directly underneath my wheelchair and of course I hate it because I am literally stuck there until somebody opens the door and brings out food. Stormy is my go-to kitty whenever I can’t go outside. Mom likes to bring him inside because he kind of likes being inside. He actually likes his cuddles too. Everytime we have him inside, it’s almost like he wants me to go onto the floor because he gets very lonely and meows like crazy. He doesn’t like the bed very much. The times I go on the floor he gets in a lovey dovey mood, he still wants to play but he’s less curious and wants to cuddle up to my legs and take a nap. Which is fine with me because then I can either watch TV or do a crossword puzzle/read my book while he snoozes. On Sunday, Blondie was cleaning the inside of her car, it wasn’t so lonely to be out there by myself. I mean, the cats can’t give you a genuine conversation like a human being can, so I texted my friend and neighbor if she was at home. When she said she was. I asked my mom if I could go over there, after some persuasion she finally let me go, I went over there and had a good conversation with Sammy and her mom. Another one of our friends Kim came over just before Chey got off the bus. Which just blew my mind! I totally forgot there was school and it’s been in session for several weeks now. She didn’t come home very happy, so it was kind of difficult but she was okay. While I was sitting out there, the damn mosquitos were eating me up bad, Theresa went into the house and brought out these black sticks and for some odd reason I thought they were sparklers from July. Nope, they were incense sticks. Theresa put a few out around the floorboards of the porch and then Sammy brought some and stuck them in the ground around my chair. I told it looked like she was doing a witch ritual because she basically put them around the front end of my wheelchair. I’m not going to lie, they really did help a lot. They smelled pretty good, I think she said they had passion fruit, coconut, and mango. I was definitely the coconut the most. I honestly didn’t want to leave but I really had to go to the bathroom.

Tuesday, it’s been pretty boring. I’ve mainly been watching TV and listening to music all day long. Which isn’t a bad way to spend a day but it was boring. I got to watch Dr. Phil and totally regretted it. I’ve been drowning myself in Motionless In White and Flyleaf new albums too. I think after two days of being outside and around the kitties, I think I had my fill of them. I didn’t have any feelings of going outside when I got up. I’m very happy to see Dancing With The Stars back on again! I’m also very glad that Lolo went home (sorry spoiler!) I’m still trying to figure out which teams I’m on as it is the very first week, but I’m being pulled to Tavis Smiley, Tommy Chong, Sadie Robertson, and Lea Thompson right now. I don’t know who my mom is pulling for at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll be finding out soon because we’ll probably be at each other’s throats in a few more weeks, so beware!

Trip The Darkness

Hello, it just turned noon here. I’m still sick, but the nose isn’t that bad today. I still sound like I’m talking from my nose though. But no pain in my throat or chest, I actually haven’t had much pain in neither one of those areas since Sunday so that’s good I guess. Despite my sickness, yesterday was one of my depressed days. I hate those. Especially when I’m sick. They don’t help me whatsoever but however you can hide it better when you’re sick. They think your eyes are just watering from the cough or sinus pressure. I can’t cry when I’m sick. If I was to do that I’d be gagging a lot and coughing and that’s not fun for me to do, because it always leads to something disgusting. So it’s not really worth it. I hate taking the medicine. One piece that I’m actually starting to like is the nose thingy. You stick up your nose and spray that stuff away. It’s got a really bad aftertaste but works wonders.

I got lots of sleep last night and this morning. I remember waking at 9am and noticing I was cold and I went to fix my blanket and when I did I looked over at the clock, and thought it’s too early, I’m going back to bed. There’s not many times where I will say that and actually do it. I went back to sleep and woke myself at 11:30am. I’m pretty proud of myself. I woke up to wanting to listen Lacey of Flyleaf’s song “Heavy Prey,” Lacuna Coil and In This Moment. (Trip The Darkness just came on!) Apparently I’m not over my metal mood today. Can you blame me though? It’s the best way to release anger I will say that. I’ll probably be on YouTube all day again. Especially since Lacuna Coil’s album gets released today. My day just got better for me didn’t it?