"I Am Only One" by We Are The Fallen from Tear The World Down

Violin-piano ballad! [insert writer squealing]

A-hem. Anyway, if you've followed my review of "Sleep Well, My Angel", you already know the story behind We Are The Fallen, but quick recap if not: 3 of Evanescence's 4 original members grouped together to find another singer and start a new band. Some say they're Evanescence wannabes; I call it a resurrection.

Now, We Are The Fallen is not Evanescence, though "I Am The Only One" could be called the "Hello" of this album. American Idol contestant Carly Smithson sings with powerful vocals, with fewer overlaps than Evanescence's Amy Lee tends to use.

Carly sings perfectly to fit what she's singing. She tends to echo herself a bit in the chorus, but it just adds to the emotion.

And this song is definitely packed with emotion. "There's no one left to be the hero." "Ever after never came"—"I am only one!" The poor narrator has waited for her happily ever after, but all her hopes and dreams have died with time, leaving her nothing to allay the pain and loneliness.

Depending on how you read the lyrics ("I bleed this empty heart of all that longs to die" and "my heart will die alone"), the narrator may be committing suicide, or she may be slaughtering her dreams, because "hope's last breath" is described, too.

The music, as I commented, is mostly soft violin and piano. There's a touch of synthesizing in it. It's well put-together, used exactly for emphasis of the emotion of Carly's voice and the lyrics. We Are The Fallen even did a live acoustic version, and the guitar on that fits perfectly, as well.

Overall, it's a lovely song if you like ballads and don't mind the possible suicide taking place in it.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 9/10

Check out "I Am Only One" on Amazon!

"Sleep Well, My Angel" by We Are The Fallen from Tear The World Down

Take several members of Evanescence's original lineup (including Ben Moody), add the American Idol contestant Carly Smithson as the singer, and you end up with We Are The Fallen.

Some listeners have complained that the band's an Evanescence knock-off. Considering We Are The Fallen has more of the original Evanescence's members than Evanescence itself does, I think of it more as a resurrection than a knock-off.

Not to call this the selfsame thing: Carly's vocals are more forceful yet emotional and touching, and the album overall has a little more of a nu-metal touch. But this review centers on one of the two ballads on that album: "Sleep Well, My Angel", which could be called the "My Immortal" of Tear The World Down. (If you aren't familiar with Evanescence's Fallen album, just keep reading.)

Carly has the forceful, mature vocals that are traditional for female-fronted rock (think along the lines of Pat Benatar), that lighten up into delicate for the ballad. Her alto is soothing, reminiscent of Amy Lee of Evanescence fame while not being the same.

The music's every bit as gentle, primarily piano and a member of the violin family (yay!), only pulling in slow-paced drums at the bridge. The drums are a nice accent for the bridge of the song, then continues pretty much continue until the end. Now that I'm paying attention to that, I prefer the sound of the song before the drums come in.

The soft, delicate music fits the lyrics, which involve the narrator apologizing to someone she (or he) doesn't want to wake up. (I'm just going to use they/their as a 3rd person singular, since it was originally both singular and plural anyway.) The narrator loves the sleeper, has given the one they love "all that [they are]", but "had to leave". The narrator will only bring harm to the one they love, and therefore dares not "come home".

Not sure that the repetition of "sorry" was the best choice for the bridge, though.

Call me a Twilight fanatic if you like—though, for the record, I did read it before it was popular—but I keep picturing those handsome jerks who seem so prevalent in YA lit, lately. You know, the guys who are jerks on purpose to try to drive the main girl away, but she's still drawn to him due to an unaddressed self-destructive personality? They really should just leave.

I guess this is more of a fit for Angel from Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, though. (…I also think of a scene that's planned a few books past an urban fantasy WiP of mine. Planned before this album came out, for the record.)

Anyway, it's a lovely ballad that you should like if you're a fan of metal ballads, and it's well worth listening to if you liked the old Evanescence.

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Lyrics: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 9/10