Tim: Tom, you may not like how I’m going to introduce this, but I don’t care: I first heard this on last week’s episode of Glee, and thought it was strange – it was presented almost as a separate music video rather than fitting into the show like normal.
Tom: You’re right, I don’t like how you’re introducing that. Doesn’t Glee mostly just cover Big Pop Tunes, though?
Tim: Almost exclusively, yes, but I didn’t recognise this, and I realised I wanted to look it up.
Tim: So I looked for the original and found this. They’re a new band, who describe themselves as doing theatrical pop, and I reckon that fits almost perfectly.
Tom: I can see where they’re coming from there – it sounds like it’s a track from a musical. I suppose that’s basically what Glee used it as.
Tim: More or less, yeah – an uplifting closing track to one of the occasional very good episodes it has. It’s a lovely piano song, and even if you’re not listening to the lyrics you pretty much what it’s about. Structurally it’s unusual – aside from the one line “I will give the world to you” there’s no real chorus – just a big build-up in front of each verse. Much as I’m generally opposed to any variation from the standard formula, I have to admit that it works brilliantly here, as it places a lot of focus on that upbeat power-chord melody that really makes this song.
Tom: It’s basically a piano-led, instrumental chorus. I can live with that – particularly when it’s this deliberately, massively, heftily uplifting. If it weren’t this damn good, it’s come off as trite – but it is this damn good.
Tim: It really is. It’s worth noting, as you did earlier, that it’s very, very rare that Glee features new music or bands – the only previous example was We Are Young, and, well, look what happened to that. Based on this track, I do hope success isn’t far off for this band.
Tom: I can only agree.