Meghan Trainor's delayed ‘The Love Train’ is filled with sugar and romance [Music Review]
With its release delayed last summer, and again last month, there are question marks over whether Meghan Trainor’s third album Treat Myself will ever see the light of day. But she did release a six-track EP, The Love Train, in time for Valentine’s Day.
The record is as romantic and gushy as it sounds. With the lines, “I know I’m needy/But tell me you need me,” it’s pretty clear from the get-go that this is going to be difficult to stomach. With its squeaky-clean, pristine production, opener All The Ways is as sugary sweet as they come, with strung-out acoustic chords giving a hint of country to this overwhelming intro.
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Marry Me, the longest track at three and a half minutes, somehow manages to top the sucrose, with jolly ukulele chords, and big bell sounds, creating a Hawaiian beach wedding vibe. This is bound to be up there alongside John Legend’s All of Me for most popular first dance songs. The melodrama continues with the token piano ballad After You, with thunderous toms and heartfelt chorus.
I’m Down and Foolish veer into more stable, contemporary pop territory, showcasing Trainor’s vocal range, amping up the sass, while the instrumentals are far more groove-based and funky.
Closer Good Mornin’ seems closer to her blue-eyed soul roots, and the simple singalong helps provide a community feel, but it sounds a bit like a party band at the end of a long night: much like the listener, starting to lose its grip on reality.