BWW CD Reviews: Joel B. New's STANDALONE is Engaging but Not Novel

Joel B. New, a 2008 American Theatre Wing Jonathan Larson grant recipient has written music and lyrics for several projects. His work has been seen and developed at places like Ars Nova, Lincoln Center, and New York Theatre Barn. Earlier this summer, he released the engaging premiere studio recording of his song cycle, STANDALONE.

Moving to New York City myself this summer I never thought that the big city would feel as isolating as it does. However, this city of 10 million strangers can be an incredibly lonely place, which is the theme that STANDALONE explores. Furthermore, in a world where we can "connect" via our smartphone apps and technology, this problem only seems infinitely multiplied. We isolate ourselves behind our tiny screens and lose the skills needed to engage in actual conversation and relationships. Combating this phenomenon, in STANDALONE Joel B. New challenges his audience to be open to the possibilities of real human connection and interactions.

The experiences Joel B. New writes about are instantly relatable and draws the listener in to his cycle. However, when compared to other young modern composers and lyricists vying for coveted stage time in New York City, his skills just don't fully grab my attention. His music and lyrics have a tangible passion, but the lyrics in STANDALONE don't really move me. Like Lynn Ahrens work in ROCKY, the lyrics in STANDALONE seem to be relating events happening in real time and lack the artistry of crafty metaphors and other literary devices. Thus, the depth that Joel B. New is searching for has been found in other pieces tackling the same themes that have used smarter and more keenly crafted lyrics.

The musical compositions abound with charm and a warm delicacy. Joel B. New is crafting songs that sound like Broadway and have that pop Broadway joie de vivre to them. Tonally, his charismatic scoring follows the conventions and norms of chord progressions that audiences know and love. Unfortunately, while each song is new and original, nothing in his compositions feel novel.

After repeated listening, the songs don't stick with me. Some do stand out more than others, and I found "Can't Put It Down" and "Cute White Boy" to be my favorite songs in the cycle. However, I'm curious to know what this cycle is like in production. Seeing it live and on stage may elevate it above what this recording captures. For all the negatives I have pointed out to, there is an itch in my heart that says that I'd appreciate this work more if it was conceptualized and contextualized on stage for my consumption.

You can check out Joel B. New's STANDALONE for yourself, and all it will cost is your time. For more information about the album please visit http://joelbnew.com. You can listen to STANDALONE in its entirety by visiting SoundCloud and NoiseTrade. You can also check out Joel B. New's podcast Something New or follow him Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

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