Calling all StageSider’s! Following a recent post about the frist two songs from the soundtrack of Dear Evan Hansen, I have returned with a review of the first couple of tracks.
Waving Through A Window.
The first song I listened to was, of course, Waving Through A Window. This isn’t to say that I wasn’t excited to hear the cast sing together. Ben’s voice on the stage version of this song is just amazing. His vocals on this movie track are just as impressive, hitting all the right notes in all the right places. With the track featuring a rather modern rhythmic section, featuring some MIDI sound pad effects and a livelier drum beat, the arrangement brings a new lease of life to the track. Not that it needed the update. On a somewhat picky note, the backing does sound a bit pitchy and heavily auto tuned. Did we need the extra editing on the track? After comparing the movie musical version and the broadway recording, the editing seems to actually make the track worse.
You Will Be Found.
You Will be Found follows a similar updated vibe. With some rather strange timing choices, the song feels quite choppy and then rushed in other areas [and not in a good way]. The backing to this track sounds smoother and a bit more full. However, when the actors speak, their voices seem so empty compared to the stage version. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of emotion behind the words. I sadly find myself not as excited to see the film anymore. Then the singing kicks back in and you can really hear the effects layered on the vocals. It is such a shame as nothing was wrong with the original soundtrack and there was no need to update it for the film. I would have happily heard the same soundtrack again for the movie musical, and enjoyed seeing a cinematic version of the plot.
Obviously I appreciate that everyone has different opinions, and we don’t all enjoy the same things. This is just my opinion and I welcome a discussion on this. I completely respect the work that has gone into making this. I’m still looking forward to seeing the film, kind of. I just feel like it’s been updated past the point of it being authentic and emotionally charged. Hopefully when I see the full film, I will change my mind.
Have your say.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments section and let’s get a discussion going.
Head over to the Terms and conditions page to learn more about our policies, here at StageSideUK.
Follow us on Twitter and give our page a like on Facebook.