The band Miracle Musical, spearheaded by Joe Hawley, released their one and only album “Hawaii: Part II” to streaming platforms everywhere on Dec. 12, 2012. Hawley was a member of the indie band called Tally Hall, which split up in 2011 after the members decided they no longer wanted to pursue life in a band. However, Hawley and a few other members of the band decided to get together one last time under a different name, Miracle Musical, and put together a collection of songs with varying themes, languages, and genres. The music released took the internet by storm, from theories as to what the songs had in common, to who was behind Miracle Musical,or if there would ever be a Hawaii Part I or III. However, to this day no news has been received.
The pieces in “Hawaii: Part II” range from alternative rock, ballroom music, tribal music, and a song that begins in reverse. These varying themes and genres are what makes the album widely known and loved. The most popular song is “Dream Sweet in Sea Major” with 110,603,000 listens on Spotify as of now. The song is the final of the album, which explains why there is a reference to nearly every song in the rest of the album in this song, even opening the same way as the first song, “Introduction to the Snow.” What’s also interesting is how the song is set in C major. It’s the longest song in the album, and it features French for one of its verses. This song is enjoyable for the complexity of the music itself, and how it changes from one genre to the next seamlessly, never feeling clunky or wrong.
Looking at the most unique track is surprisingly the song that sounds like one that would be on a radio, “Labyrinth.” As the eighth song of the album, “Labyrinth” features an upbeat retro feel, accompanied by two singers who are unnamed but play the role of a lover and an ex. It depicts the lover being stuck in a labyrinth inside of his mind, the labyrinth taking the role of his ex. The lover repeatedly claims how he’s trapped, and he feels like he’ll never get out, alluding to the fact that his ex is constantly on his mind and even with other women in his life his ex still haunts him, keeping him trapped in a labyrinth. The part that makes this song memorable is it’s a complete 180 from the rest of the album but still keeps the same feeling of the rest of the songs.
Finally, my favorite song in the album is “Murders.” The song opens with hard beats of a piano. It’s an incredibly loud and fast song, only slowing down to get even louder. The song practically kidnaps the listener, throwing them into some story of a murder that took place in a forest. The real meaning of the song isn’t entirely clear, and it’s pretty much up to each individual’s thoughts about the story and what each verse signifies. That aspect of the song is why it’s my favorite. Its open interpretation and hearing others’ theories makes listening to the song a different experience each time. “Murders” is confusing at first, but the mystery and sound quality all lead to an interesting and unique listening experience.
Overall, “Hawaii: Part II” provides a once in a lifetime experience, taking the listeners on a journey of various genres, stories, and languages. The music’s lack of explicit language allows all listeners to enjoy it. With all of those reasons combined, it deserves a rating of 5/5