Ashley Arrison Puts Her Heart on Parade

Douglas Boultinghouse
Editor-in-Chief

Courtesy of Ashley Arrison

Ashley Arrison - "Hearts on Parade"

    “You see perfect / Or pretty damn close,” are the opening lines of the debut album from singer-songwriter Ashley Arrison. That album, “Hearts on Parade,” is pretty damn perfect.

   Arrison released the album in July and it could be the reason the repeat button was invented. She combined various styles of music from pop to folk into 11 songs perfect for driving, having fun or just simply relaxing.

   Her first single, “Trying to Help You Out,” begins the album.

  “Things aren’t as they seem / In my heart I have seen who I am / Don’t get close / You don’t want to come in / The real me isn’t what you’re thinking,” she sings.

   The lyrics stun on their own, but when mixed with the chords of the guitar, Arrison reaches perfection. She co-wrote the song with friend and singer Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson even provides background vocals on the track, harmonizing effortlessly.

   The album contains a few mid-tempo gems such as “Favorite Thing,” “California” and “Walk Me Home,” which all have strong features, but “Winter” outshines them.

   “I don’t need to smell the flowers / I don’t need the extra hour of the day / While the birds are chasing summer / I just want to run the other way,” Arrison sings on the simple, yet mesmerizing track where her voice sounds pure. Though an upbeat song, you can still feel the hurt in her voice as she sings, “Just like you, winter wouldn’t stay.”

   She also included a set of hauntingly beautiful ballads including “Serenade,” “Breathing, “The Hard Way” and “Caged Bird.” Each song puts the piano to perfect use to capture the emotion behind the lyrics.

   With “The Hard Way,” she wonders why no matter what, things don’t turn out right, someone gets hurt. “Why does it take a mistake to know that I was wrong / Why do I have to hurt someone / Why must I walk through the fire just to know it burns / Why do I have to learn the hard way,” she sings.

   “Caged Bird” takes a much darker turn.

   “I won’t go down like that / When you push me around like that / This time I won’t fall so hard,” she sings.

   The song’s use of the piano and strings make for the albums defining track as Arrison’s voice pulls you in.

   The album also features a couple upbeat songs to balance it out, including the title track “Hearts on Parade” and the sassy “Little Miss Plastic.”

   Arrison shows off her strength and wit with “Little Miss Plastic,” in which she lets the girl eyeing her man know what will happen to her.

   “I double dog dare ya honey / Go on make your move / Those pretty, bleached white teeth, how’d you like to lose a few? / I might be 115 but I ain’t afraid to brawl / What ya want first, girl, the window or the wall,” she warns.

   The title of the album sums up every track. The music is honest, raw and artistic, putting Arrison’s heart on parade for the world to see.

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