Moving On

Home Free's baritone and co-founder Chris Rupp released his debut solo album, "Shine"", yesterday and I must say I'm loving it. This album is filled with all sorts of songs; there are ballads, duets, country, soft piano, swing, fun, sadness, broken hearts, loving hearts and it's just so much fun. I always knew Chris had a very good voice, smooth and sweet, but on this album he shows sides of himself and it that surprises me. In a completely good way.

I will be writing a review of the whole album, but as I am in the middle of packing for our move as well as getting things ready for my upcoming UK-trip (including 2 Home Free shows and the Phantom of the Opera) I'm not exactly sure when I will have time to get to it. But you should still go get the album, so you can discuss my review with me when I post it. "Shine" is available for download on several different places, and as I'm not a fan of iTunes I used CDbaby, the only thing you need to think about if you use CDbaby is that you will need to download it to a computer as it comes down as zip files you need extract before transferring them to your mobile device. It's also on Spotify, but I only recommend that if you are already a Premium member since you can't really choose the songs you want to hear on there if you're not, and it's more expensive to become a Premium member than it is to actually buy the album. If you want to you can also get it as a physical CD from Chris' website, where you can also get his recently released piano CD "Setting the Stage", his "Thinkin' Calendar", and there's also a link to his Patreon page as well where you can support the making of more videos. We have been told there will be videos coming out for all 11 songs. You can find it all right here. For those of us going to the Home Free shows in the UK and Ireland Chris' has said that he will bring some CD's over for us to buy.

However, I want to mention one of the songs off this album right now. This is a song called "Moving On" and it's written from the perspective of someone lying on their death bed. I love everything about this song; the melody, the lyrics, the piano, the instrumental build up behind the piano and most of all the message. This song also has the honour of being the first official video off of "Shine" and it fits the song perfectly in mood. It's just Chris playing the piano, singing, in the dark surrounded by lit candles. As the song progresses the day dawns and it gets light.

I think it's perfect because that's how I feel when I listen to this song. It's almost like hearing my dad in his final days. He told us he was going to be ok, that he had lived a good life, and that his only wish was for us to live our lives to the fullest, to be happy. And that is exactly what this song is about. It was all darkness, but then the day came along with the light.

I know some people will cry out of sadness from this song, but I cried out of joy and love the first few times I heard it. It just makes me happy, because I feel like I am living my life to the fullest and I am happy, just as my dad wanted. He didn't want to me be stuck in grief and sadness, he wanted me to go out into the world and be the very best I can be.

This song is so amazing I want it played at my funeral when that day comes, in 50-60 years from now (I have a lot of life left in me yet). It says what I would want to say to the ones I might leave behind. Don't grieve me, celebrate my life. Be happy, I will be ok. Actually, I will be great.

Anyway, here's "Moving On". I hope you like it as much as I do.

Oh, and if you happen to be in the Mankato, Minnesota area tonight go to Buster's and check out Chris' release party if there are any tickets left.

Now that I think about it, the title of the song is very fitting when I'm in the middle of packing to move on to a new home. I'm Moving On, in this life. :D

Love//
Carina