At first listen one might think, “Yep, this could be the soundtrack to the next Michael Cera rom-com,” but this album is more than just another collection of quirky singer-songwriter songs.
All 10 tracks on I Will Love You at All distinguish themselves. From the sax solo on “Buy Me Presents” to the country shuffle of “If Only My Heart Were Made of Stone,” every track has something that makes it unique and memorable.
More impressive than what sets each of these tracks apart is what ties them together: Hanlon’s lyrics. They’re are the perfect combination of creativity and clarity, particularly in Hanlon’s descriptions. Take this line from the opening of “Butterfly Bones”: “With your skinny girl arms with their hands on their ends like exclamation marks.”
I Will Love You at All reflects of several aspects of growing older including love lost (“Scenes from a Separation”), change (“House”), one’s past (“Home”) and worry (“All These Things”).
These worries and more keep Hanlon up at night “dividing sheep by the square root of 10,” as he sings on the marvelous “Folk Insomnia,” but he begins to accept what he can and can’t control and finds it comforting that “the best thing about growing old is we all do it together.”
Not every song has a happy ending, but by album’s end listeners will probably feel a little better about life and that makes I Will Love You at All a success.
Darren Harlon will be opening for Tim Kasher at Local 506 on Wednesday, November 24. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.
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