“Fire” – Amidst The Chaos opens with mysterious humming which is quickly offset by guitar and mandolin. It’s a gorgeous addition to her repertoire, and poised to be one of our favorite albums of 2019. In spite of all that’s wrong with the world, Amidst The Chaos offers light and hope.Īmidst The Chaos is an enchanting yet earthy album, and the most immediately enjoyable record Sara has released so far. But ultimately, she finds fierce strength in the woman’s empowerment song, “Armor,” which was the timely lead single last fall. Sara turns inward in the face of so much social and political turmoil on meditative tracks like “Eyes On You” and “Orpheus”. The duo open their hearts to refugees and encourage listeners to do the same, but from a place of love more than politics. Perhaps the most overtly political song is album closer “A Safe Place To Land,” which features John Legend. Sara also snuck in a few tracks dedicated to the Obamas – though on the surface, these songs would easily pass as being about romantic relationships. Of course, we have some excellent love songs and breakup songs. Lyrically, Sara explores a lot of new themes.
Ballads like “Orpheus” and “Someone Who Loves Me” balance out Amidst The Chaos, and ultimately may be the songs that offer the most layers to uncover. Many of the other songs, however, deliver Sara’s softer and more contemplative side. Other tunes are upbeat and more comparable to Sara’s past albums tracks like “Wicked Love” and “Poetry By Dead Men” will instantly capture listeners’ attention. Songs like “Fire” and “Eyes On You” veer the farthest into folksy territory, complete with acoustic strumming and jangling beats. Lush strings also lend the album a fuller and richer presence reminiscent of those past decades.Īmidst The Chaos offers up a diverse array of styles, too. On some songs, those backing vocals come courtesy of singer-songwriter Emily King. This is in part due to the background vocals filling out the sound. Much of the music here would fit right in on a record from the 1960s or ’70s. Throughout Amidst The Chaos, earlier influences are evident in their impact on Sara’s updated sound. Sara promised a “rootsy” vibe last summer, and producer T Bone Burnett has ensured the songs are as real and rich as they can be. In contrast to the electronically charged The Blessed Unrest, Sara’s new album moves in the opposite direction, pulling together acoustic guitar, piano, and strings to form a sound that is organic and layered. It was a long and busy wait, but so worth it. But her pop return was overdue, and last summer, she began recording what would become Amidst The Chaos. Since then, Sara has acted in musicals (including Waitress), hosted awards shows, and released a handful of songs for films and musicals. She also wrote all the music for a new musical called Waitress, and in November 2015, a selection of those new songs appeared on Sara’s themed album, What’s Inside: Songs From Waitress. In October 2015, Sara released a memoir, Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) In Song.
After gracing the world with songs like “Brave” and “I Choose You,” Sara took an unexpected turn into books and theater. It’s been six long years since Sara Bareilles released her last pop album, The Blessed Unrest.
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