Parachute, ‘Overnight’ – Album Review

For the follow-up to 2011's 'The Way It Was,' Parachute frontman and principal songwriter Will Anderson penned more than 50 tracks, collaborating with a couple of Grammy-winning writers in the process.

The result of those efforts is 'Overnight,' Parachute's third album. With a handful of memorable ballads and a few up-tempo songs that go in unexpected directions, 'Overnight' deviates from the formula just often enough to keep things interesting.

Although Parachute aren’t breaking any new ground here, the songs are well-crafted and infectious. Whether 'Overnight' catapults the band into mainstream success remains to be seen, but the record is a solid effort.

Check out Parachute's upcoming tour dates, and read on for our song-by-song review.

1. 'Meant to Be'
'Meant to Be' is a danceable track with a message that many of Parachute's female fans would love to hear from frontman Will Anderson. "This is where you're meant to be," Anderson insists. It's an appealing, attention-grabbing opening track.

2. 'Can't Help'
Co-written with Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, 'Can't Help' is a poppy, piano-heavy tune with a catchy hook in which Anderson sings about his addiction to a special girl. He compares her to a drug that he can't get enough of. All it took was one kiss, and he was immediately hooked, just as fans are likely to be hooked by this song. [Listen Here]

3. 'Drive You Home'
While the first two songs on the record are built around hooks and tempo, 'Drive You Home' is more about emotion. The focus is on Anderson's voice as he pleads, "You know that you don't have to leave / You don't have to go / Yes, when it's over, let me drive you home." This is a track we'll be listening to frequently. [Listen Here]

4. 'Hurricane'
There's a storm brewing in Anderson's head. He's a wreck after seeing a photo that conjured up bad memories he was trying to forget. 'Hurricane' is one of the quieter tracks on the album, and we like the contrast between the intense story and the soft tone of the music.

5. 'Overnight'
Parachute call 'Overnight' one of their favorite tracks on the album. Perhaps one of the reasons why they love it so much is because it allows everyone in the band to shine. The lively track shows off the work of drummer Johnny Stubblefield and guitarist Nate McFarland, as Anderson sings about being unable to sleep because he's infatuated with a love interest.

6. 'Didn't See It Coming'
We didn't see this one coming. The final song written for 'Overnight,' 'Didn't See It Coming' comes out of left field with a bouncy melody and spoken rap-like verses that were just placeholders until the guys decided to keep them in the final mix. Smart decision! The unusual arrangement is fitting for a song with a weird back story — it was inspired by a friend of the group who landed an acting job but didn't realize it was an "adult" feature.

7. 'The Other Side'
"I can't wait for you to wake up / I wanna be there when you open your eyes," Anderson sings on the ballad 'The Other Side.' Something about the methodical pace of the melody has us tapping our feet, but otherwise 'The Other Side' isn't one of the standout tracks on the record.

8. 'Waiting for That Call'
One of our favorite songs on 'Overnight' is 'Waiting for That Call,' a vibrant track with a soaring chorus and a dash of '80s pop-rock flavor. The band has been performing the song live for more than a year, allowing them to fine-tune it until they arrived at the excellent version that appears on the album.

9. 'The Only One'
On an album full of high-quality slow songs, 'The Only One' is the least memorable of the batch. It's a breakup tale in which Anderson sings, "Nothing else that I can do / While I'm waiting for the end to come / I know you're gonna walk away / But you should know that you're the only one."

10. 'Disappear'
'Disappear' is a beautiful acoustic tune centered around Anderson's strong vocals. He even breaks out the falsetto at one point. Given its intimate, personal nature, expect this one to be a concert favorite during those quiet moments between high-energy songs. [Listen Here]

11. 'Higher'
The album's final song is its biggest departure. 'Higher' roars in with a chorus of voices and guitars. For about 30 seconds, it falls somewhere between 'Rocky Horror' and a Broadway show, but then the music fades out almost entirely as Anderson begins singing. "You've gotta go higher than you've ever been before," he implores over loud guitars. A few more risks like this one might have made for a truly great record, but 'Overnight' is still the band's best album to date.