Pretty sure this is my favorite album from July's releases (although I have been waiting for "The World From Outer Space" and "Life Is Better With You" since he sang them on tour last summer, so I'm kind of biased). Franti's was one of the most amazing concerts I've been to, not because it was showy or flashy or even that Franti had the best stage presence, but because the entire vibe of the concert was so much more peaceful than any I've been to (except for maybe Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, but it was raining so there were only about fifty people there and about forty of them were high so everyone was pretty chill). Either way it's one of only three concerts I've been to where I could stand in the middle of the crowd and not be shoved in some way; I love that (because I'm chill, but not if you're an ignorant asshole).
As awfully cheesy as it is to say, his sound is drenched in love and peace and all things good and that feeling spread throughout the concert and all the people attending it, creating an amazingly peaceful crowd (Franti walked through the crowd barefoot while playing the guitar and not a single person tried to grab at him; no one else could create a widespread vibe of complete calm like that while maintaining the excitement and joy needed to move a show forward).
This music video captures the overall adorable sweetness that is Michael Franti & Spearhead and I just can't get over it. I don't care if you think his rebel rock stage was cooler (it doesn't make you cooler for knowing it; every fool learned about Franti by watching his political activist videos before they had even heard of "Say Hey (I Love You)"), you should just calm the fuck down and get over yourself because every artist evolves their sound and Franti has seamlessly turned his sound into something that preaches love and optimism, rather than harping on things that just aren't going to change. After all, after a week like this I would much rather listen to All People or The Sound of Sunshine than Stay Human (even if that song about love from I Know I'm Not Alone was kind of cute, I just have to love the positive vibes on his newer albums). Besides, "everybody wants me to be who they want me to be except you, all I wanna do is be with you" may be the cutest opening line ever (or, at the least, this year).
"I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)" Michael Franti & Spearhead
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