Amidst The Chaos

Sara Bareilles' sixth album, "Amidst the Chaos," is centered on the idea that the personal is political, and vice versa. Among the twelve new songs presented here, half respond to the socio-political climate in the U.S., but from perspectives that also allow space for the emotions and lived experiences of the listener. The rest of the album examines spiritual concerns and romantic love.

Bareilles has described album opener, "Fire," as embodying the desire to be truly moved ("someday I won't have to feel the cold, I do now so I'll know what it feels like when I feel fire"). Such sentiments are juxtaposed by a song structure that simmers with mandolin, guitar, ukulele and percussion, building toward explosive chorus sections. It's a breathtaking self-examination. And as a side note: Considering the song's elaborate vocal arrangement, it wouldn't be surprising to see the song become a standard for a cappella groups (check out the multi-tracked choir of Bareilleses, especially harmonizing on the word "fire" at the end of every chorus).

From here, the more politically inspired songs take hold. The lilting piano ballad "No Such Thing" and the Otis Redding-styled R&B of "If I Can't Have You" draw from Bareilles' feelings watching President Obama's exit from DC and, to a certain extent, from public life upon completing his second term. Though it is not necessary to know this – both songs could just as easily be heard as addressing the dissolution of a relationship, or contending with the loss of a loved one – such knowledge taps into feelings of a wide swathe of Americans devastated by 2016 election results... and what it would, and has ultimately come to, signify.

Some songs probe the question of how to best respond to the current socio-political climate. In "Orpheus," a meditation with an appropriately subtle lead vocal, Bareilles offers a compassionate response to the seemingly never-ending chaos that impacts our everyday lives ("it's just the promise of the day I know that some may never seek; but that's enough, if the bottom drops out, I hope my love was someone else's solid ground"). Later in the album, "Saint Honesty" examines our perceptions of progress and the violent disruption that ultimately illuminates our stagnation ("we're collecting evidence of one remarkable storm, how wild it was to find it, finally feel the climate, instead of only staying warm and dry"). The question becomes: How do we truly move forward from here?

John Legend duets on album closer "A Safe Place to Land," a heart-wrenching statement of compassion for immigrants seeking solace in the U.S., only to be met with racially-motivated hostility and violence at the border. The lyrics respond to the current administration's inhumane and severely traumatizing policy of separating children from their families. Over the top of piano, guitar, bass, drums and haunting flourishes of strings, Bareilles and Legend's voices intertwine beautifully.

Of the political material, the midtempo funk of "Armor" stands out with its menacing piano, drums, and feminist theme: "I see the unforgettable, incredible ones who came before me, brought poetry, brought science, sowed quiet seeds of self-reliance, bloomed in me"). Bareilles takes aim at the patriarchy and those who seek to perpetuate it: "only the little boys tell you they're a big man... so here I am, you think I am high and mighty mister? Wait 'til you meet my little sister." Because Bareilles is a gifted melodicist, it shouldn't come as any surprise that "Armor" is incredibly catchy. And possibly a new anthem for contemporary feminism? Just a thought.

The remainder of the album moves toward the personal. "Wicked Love" examines addiction and the promise of believing in someone or something that ultimately doesn't deliver – such as our continued pursuit of affirmation (on social media) and highs (whether through alcohol, drugs, sex, and more) that can rapidly become destructive habits. The meditative and simmering "Eyes on You" ponders the struggle to avoid succumbing to anxiety. Working toward a double-time chorus, the song exudes a sense of perspective, focus, and momentum in facing everyday challenges.

Songs that examine romantic love include "Miss Simone" and "Poetry by Dead Men" – in the former, only Nina bears witness to two people falling in love; the latter is from the perspective of the lover-left-behind in countless volumes of prose. But the strongest is the vulnerable "Someone to Love Me," acknowledging a lover who provides solace ("your gift to me is just to be bracing for the winds I always summon; my home, my heart, thank god you are someone who loves me"). Bareilles' intimacy is matched by a subtle performance and tastefully spare arrangement of arpeggiated guitar, bass, and drums.

Helming the boards is legendary producer T Bone Burnett, who has been responsible for landmark albums by Alison Krauss & Robert Plant ("Raising Sand"), Elton John (his criminally overlooked masterpiece "The Diving Board"), and the soundtrack for "O Brother Where Art Thou," among many others over the last four decades. Burnett's production style works well with Bareille's songs. From start to finish, the sound is warm and intimate, even in up-tempo songs. It feels almost as if we're listening to Bareilles and her band in a small club.

Considering the songs' topicality, Bareilles wisely avoids being too specific – there is absolutely no need to let the current President's name occupy any space in any art form by anyone whatsoever. By responding to the conditions that impact peoples' lives on a daily basis, Bareilles pinpoints the universal without resorting to explicit finger-pointing that would date-stamp her concerns. Surely, future listeners will be able to put two and two together as to where, historically, these songs derive from. After all, pop music is littered with protest songs that carefully tread specific details while addressing the redundancy and impact of politics on our daily lives – from Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'" to Tori Amos' recent "Up the Creek," among many others. Bareilles employs that utility here, often to great effect. What's more, Bareilles' humanism throughout is a comfort, to borrow her words, "amidst the chaos" of these times.

Sara Bareilles
"Amidst the Chaos"
$9.99 (digital), $11.98 (CD) and $29.98 (vinyl)
Sara Bareilles official store