This week, I am bringing forward an album that has reminded me, in the past two weeks since I first heard it, of the core purpose of music and its reason for existing in our lives. If I am being totally transparent, I have been getting bogged down recently in conversations surrounding AI music and was starting to feel beaten by the machine. The topic has cornered me into believing that music has no meaning and offers little more to our lives than a soundtrack or a mood boost that can be easily programmed for our individual consumption. Perhaps I had fallen too far down the rabbit hole but, particularly as a musician – someone who has lived their life in the belief that music has a strong, if not fundamental, interpersonal role to play – I was beginning to feel a little broken. I don’t anymore. A good portion of the reason for that is found in albums like this one.
Laugh ‘Till I Cry is a gargantuan album and the only release on streaming services under the name ‘Michael Kessler’. I can’t profess to know much about this album or Kessler other than from the Spotify bio and the incredible Instagram account of his son Jules (@juleskessler_). However, while drawn in by the sweet yet sombre sound of the opening track ‘If You’re Going Out Again’, it was reading the biography that convinced me to listen on. That’s not to discredit the music itself, as I am so glad that I listened on; I think it’s one of the most beautiful group of songs that I have listened to in a long time. Rather, I think it proves the point that music is a real gift that we have – something that helps us to tell stories, connect us to our loved ones and at times connect us to those we might disagree with.
This 34-song album comprising of an eclectic range of ensemble arrangements, intermingled with tracks that have been uploaded from tape recordings, tells the story of a man I have never met. I don’t have any connection to this man or his family. I don’t even really know when or where these songs were written or recorded. Despite this, the dynamic instrumental playing, powerful vocals, and emotive recording sound seems familiar. It has reminded me these past two weeks of what song writing is about in its simplest form. It has further reminded me that music will continue to have meaning and a power to tell human stories, share emotions, and heal in a growingly AI involved world. What a gift music is. What a gift this album has been to me. I hope you find that as well as you listen.
Waxing Lyrical 