Review Summary: I love music, and when I die...I'll tell Saint Peter, if he's the one asks me why: 'She's richer than money, and bigger than fame... And love is the reason I'm playing this game...'
Be prepared, because I'm about to sound off on what is definitely one of my favorite albums ever, perhaps in my top ten.... And, arguably, the finest moment in the career of Prefab Sprout, which I know will be hotly contested, especially given my love for this odd gem. It also should be noted that this is mostly a Paddy McAloon solo effort under the name "Prefab Sprout", with some very minimal yet ever-present contributions from the band members throughout. "Let's Change the World With Music" brings together an immaculate frontier of sound design, refined production, mature lyricism, and unhinged beauty that is so effortless, it inspires the listener immediately. Now that all the gushing is through, let's get into the actual stuff you will find on this joyous album.
This album is often pinned down as Prefab Sprout's foray into house music, which I find a bit laughable, being a fan of progressive/ deep house music. The entire album is primarily organic instrumentation, so it can be assumed that the references made to this being "house music" is related to the fact that it is immaculately produced, and thus the drumming and more beat-oriented rhythmic choices fool people into thinking this is somehow electronic in nature. This is more or less an ambient pop album, but one that seriously grooves to the fullest, and sounds as fresh as the band did in the 1980s. Many tracks on here give off the impression that they were recorded in the mid-90s; it's quite curious. The first track, "Let There Be Music", gives listeners a taste of what this album has to offer, starting with an off with a smooth dance beat backed by a stuttering Hammond B-3 synth, lush piano, and McAloon's booming godlike vocals. It sounds like something off of Seal's "Seal" or "Seal II" (in other words, totally awesome).
The lyricism here sees Paddy becoming older and reflecting more on humanity and his own spirituality. He does so with here with a clever and slightly sarcastic smirk on his face, but you can never tell if he's bluffing. It's all a part of the magic. A gorgeous conception of life and its curiosities. Paddy could be a successful modern poet or novelist, yet he decided to do both with his undying love for music. That is another thing that attracts me deeply to this work; McAloon's ability to spin fairytales with words of divine optimism and realism. This album is Paddy's love-letter to God, people, love, and music. Such seemingly simple things in life that are anything but. Paddy wears his heart on his sleeve like few other musicians dare to, not falling into the tempting art of satisfying the craving to fill a hole with lyrics of pain and suffering. No, McAloon sees such lyrical regularities as far too conventional, and anything but artistically effective.
Paddy McAloon has the unique skill of being able to create perfect pop songs. Through his genius obsession with major 7 chords, he has spun songs that time and time again revel in their ability to be wonderous, triumphant anthems. I've shown Prefab Sprout to friends, to which they say it sounds like "music that could be in an anime". Little do they know McAloon's perfected the musical formula for giving off this impression to newcomers of the band. One could say this is how it would sound if Joe Hisaishi sat down and wrote the instrumentals for a pop album.
So that about does it. I can't say enough good things about this album. I could break down every single melodic moment, every soundscape, every lyric and why it all moves my heart. That gets tiring, and with music this good, its completely unnessecary. The lyrics I chose for the summary of this review, from the song "I Love Music", sums up everything very well. This album is criminally underrated even for a Prefab Sprout album, and its probably because McAloon queitly releassed it in 2009 without much fuss. Meanwhile the bloggers of the day were out sleeping on a full-fledged masterpiece. A work for the ages. Once you hear it, everything will make sense.
