One man's vision: The Homeless Gospel Choir.  Derek Zanetti had been working with a big indie label at one point in his life but at the same time, left him unsatisfied with the industry.  He decided to turn it around. He started The Homeless Gospel Choir in 2008 and started playing in small venues and slowly moved on to bigger. His music is real; it’s about topics you and I see and hear every day.  His whole enterprise is all run by himself, he does his own booking and publicism. Now, with the help of his Facebook page, he's even been able to tour his own way and spreading his message… 

without the burdens that sometimes comes with being in a label that doesn't have the same visions you do.

 

Although I can really appreciate and admire Derek Zanetti's mission, I have to admit that his new album I Used To Be So Young has me up and down. It starts with "Armageddon," a song that lacks a lot of power, specially for an opening song. While it should be strong and a hook, instead I find myself bored from it. I had to pay very close attention to focus into the lyrics because every time I replayed it my mind would drift somewhere else.

 

Then "Some People" comes up and the mood totally changes. This song is very strong, very catchy with great lyrics and vocals. "Some People" talks about the inequalities of life, about the twists and turns and different paths people can take. It’s a good eye-opener towards the conditions of life right now. It talks about how some people can be rich and powerful and having so much food that it goes to waste, while others can barely afford the necessities of the day. I especially like the lyrics "My friends are college graduates/ Who just can't get a job/ They can't pay the bills they have/ They have to steal and rob." Because who doesn't know a friend like that? (Minus the stealing part, and I hope it's not you, and if it is... DAMN THE MAN!).  The song also asserts us that no matter who we are in life, we all are worth something.

 

"Slow Down The Time" blew my mind, this song is beautiful. It’s about taking our time to grow old. The lyrics are amazing, "Life is what you make it/ When you're not asleep/ I'm not complaining of days left behind/I 'm just looking for something / To slow down the time." It also talks about the ultimate and impending end of life, no matter the age, it’s always there  "With all people dying/ And young people too/ There's a gravestone awaiting/ For me and for you/ Well that doesn't scare me not as much as before/ Well I thought I was invincible/ Right before this new war.” Most of us felt this way at one point in our lives when we thought we were invincible and we thought we had forever waiting for us. Sometimes it takes looking at the news, but for others it takes losing someone to come to the reality that is life. We all have to eventually grow old, it's up to us how we see our future and what we make of it and slowing down to enjoy all of it while we have time.

 

The albums following songs get progressively pessimistic. I'd like to think this whole album revolves a lot around growing old. Just like life,  it slowly gets darker and ends up with the note "If we die with nothing/ Then we have all we need," leaving us with a fairly satisfied taste in our mouths. Some songs in this album are less than stellar while others are brilliant, but the message is consistent in the whole album, which makes this definitely worth a listen. Plus, his voice reminds me a lot of Anthony Rapp's character Mark Cohen in the Broadway show RENT, which is pretty awesome...