Adam Melchor is a 24-year-old Indie/Folk singer-songwriter from New Jersey who currently resides in Los Angeles to make music. His debut album, Melchor’s Lullaby Hotline Vol. 1, was released in mid-March and he took on a very creative process for this release that I have never heard of anyone doing. He began writing this album in February 2020 and once the pandemic hit, he decided to release a new song via his hotline every Sunday for an entire year. His fans would be sent a link to an unlisted YouTube video where they were able to comment their thoughts and feelings on the songs he was creating. I personally am very sad I’ve never heard of Melchor up until recently because I would’ve loved to have been a part of something like this and take part in the process. With the album, the track-list wasn’t solidified until the day he had to submit it to his record company.
The first track on the album opens up with the hotline dial-tone, so if you were to call the “hotline,” this track is what you’d hear. I found this to be a very playful way to incorporate the hotline into the album.
I would have to say my favorite song on the album is the third track, “Last Time.” The song is about the fear that whenever your desired lover leaves, you’re scared it’s going to be the last time. The way I interpret this song is that it’s two ex-lovers who keep leaving one another and don’t know if they’ll find their way back to each other, but they always do. The song begins with light strings, and progressively builds with violins as we near the bridge.
One of the darker tracks is “Start Forgetting Death.” From the premise of the song, Melchor may seem to think about death often, but once meeting his prospective lover, the thoughts subside. He is no longer scared of the dark abyss after life as long as he has his lover by his side. The song begins with acoustic strings with a trumpet accompanying the melancholy feel. There is a very dreamy tone to the song that is only amplified as it nears the end with a chorus of his own voice coming in with an evangelical feel.
One of the sadder songs on the album is “itsjustmyheart (voice memo).” This song is very intimate, featuring only Melchor’s vocals and his guitar. What I loved about this song so much is looking at the lyrics, it felt like a poem. The song surrounds him getting his heart broken, but he’ll be okay because it’s just his heart. The love interest seems to keep coming back into his life, making him confused and finding it difficult to move on. It ends with him saying everything has healed except one spot, his heart.
All in all, I think this was a very strong first album. The interactive element where fans were helping choose what songs made the track-list and what didn’ makes the album very unique in my opinion. I am excited to see what else Melchor has in store for the future.
Rating: 8.5/10
Notable tracks: “Moon in the Morning,” “Lateral Move,” “Last Time”
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