Soundtrack to Your Life: Ashley Parker Angel’s First Solo Album One of the Year’s Best!

Soundtrack To Your Life is Ashley Parker Angel’s first solo album since the dissolution of his previous band, O-Town. Angel’s CD is a collection of heartfelt songs, both up tempo and slow, many of which were featured on his MTV reality show, There and Back. For fans of O-Town, Angel’s CD is an unexpected change, as it is nothing typical of O-Town sound. For everyone else, this has to be one of the best CD’s of 2006 from a “new” artist.

Tracks Listed in Order

1. Let U Go – “Let U Go” is a catchy upbeat tune, and was released as Ashley’s first single. If this were an O-Town record, this song is the closest to fitting that, however, with the rock influenced melody; it is a stretch admitting that.

2. I’m Better- “I’m Better” was also featured on the There and Back documentary depicting the making of this album. “I’m Better” is an uppity, catchy tune that climaxes at each chorus with the drums and electric guitars kicking in.

3. Soundtrack To Your Life – “Soundtrack To Your Life” is the song played during the opening of MTV’s There and Back. The song reminds me of someone giving a life lesson, but sung over music. Its not boring at all, and when put to music; the lesson seems to go by very fast.

4. So Alive – “So Alive” is about changes going on in one’s life, and when put to the lively music, changes seem possible. This is one of the better songs on the album.

5. Crazy Beautiful – “Crazy Beautiful” starts out very slow, then the piano, drums, and guitar all play in unison, and the tempo really picks up. Here another There and Back featured song features a storyline that could coincide with the plot from the TV series. Crazy Beautiful can be summed up as an up-tempo love song, delivered by someone who has truly experienced love.

6. Who Cares? – “Who Cares” reminds me of a late Beatles era song (think Free as a Bird), due to the guitar and the vocals. This happens to be my favorite song on the album, and Ashley truly made this song unique from the rest of the collection by giving it a retro feel.

7. Shades of Blue – “Shades of Blue” has an introduction that starts out like something I have heard on a Depeche Mode CD and the vocals remind me of The Cure. However, the chorus changes the mood of the song. It picks up and becomes up tempo, but then fades, and the slow, verse starts again. Towards the two minutes of the song, the mood still is a bit somber, but the tempo is faster and the song has a more contemporary feel to it.

8. Beautiful Life – “Beautiful Life” sounds like a lot of the other songs, with a fast slow combination, but this song is definitely different than the previous songs. The lyrics give the listener a feeling of abandonment, yet Ashley sings the song like he has the highest confidence in himself and is ready to take on the world.

9. Perfect Now – “Perfect Now “has another slow/fast, soft/hard combination that is typical of songs on this album. This song made me forget the Ashley was singing it, as I was thinking it sounded a bit like something from Fall Out Boy. As much as the format of the song was typical for this album, the song had its own distinct qualities, which make it stand fine on its own.

10. Where Did You Go? – “Where Did You Go” is another of my favorite songs. If you are a fan of Elton John’s, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and this song is a perfect modern day reminder of that era. It has the piano melodies and the vocal harmonies that make this song a memorable one.

11. Along The Way – “Along The Way” is the perfect traveling song on the album. This song reminds me of something to put in the CD player late at night on the way home, or something for road trips. Ashley’s voice is smooth, and the song seems to make travel time go by faster.

12. Apology – “Apology” is a great mid-tempo song, which has been stripped of everything except vocals and piano, which is refreshing, and makes it a memorable song. Apology is convincing, and its heart-felt delivery makes it perfect to use as a make up song when an apology is needed.

13. Live Before I Die – “Live Before I Die” starts out with peaceful guitar instrumentation, followed by a tempo that picks up accompanied by Ashley’s vocals. This song reminds me of a Valentine’s Day song, and imaged of Cupid come to mind. A love song it is, boring it is not.

14. Alright, Ok – “Alright, Ok” is a reassuring song for people who have a bad day. I like this song because it is so motivating, inspiring, and it will bring a smile to your face, especially with Ashley’s reassuring delivery. Its like he is telling you personally that everything will be fine.