Adam Melchor Shares The Diary of Living In Reflective Third Album
Photo by Caro Knapp
Life is full of ups and downs. It never quite goes the way you expect, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. In his third album, The Diary of Living, Adam Melchor reflects on all the things that life has thrown at him, and the journey he has taken to get to where he is now.
With a title like The Diary of Living, vulnerability is sure to be a theme throughout the album. Melchor doesn’t hesitate to be vulnerable, starting the album acapella with only his powerful voice, in the album’s opener “Boardwalk Royalty.” Melchor examines all the things that have made him who he is, and they all culminate in him realizing “This is where I belong.”
“The Hopefuls” is an upbeat, twangy anthem about trying to find hope. Despite the hopeful title and sound, there are darker moments in the lyrics that set up the themes of loss and grief that are woven into the album. In the second verse Melchor sings “Barely even knew my jacket size / For
the vigil and the candlelight / It was more than I could handle / I walked out with no warning.” The lack of knowledge towards jacket size implies that Melchor was young when he experienced this loss. He hasn’t had the chance to learn his jacket size, hasn’t had the chance to attend events, such as school dances or weddings, that would require a well fitting jacket. Despite the difficulties mentioned in the song, Melchor’s desire to be “one of the hopefuls” is palpable through his passionate vocals and accompanying instrumentation.
The upbeat instrumentation backing thoughtful, vulnerable lyrics continues in “Change of Heart,” which Melchor wrote about his father’s second heart surgery. The energy of the song builds throughout the bridge and final chorus as Melchor shows off his vocal chops, highlighting the higher end of his range.
The following track, “Suburban Siddhartha,” is the first moment where Melchor’s heartbreaking, open lyrics, are accompanied by an equally heartbreaking and open instrumentation. The song is a deeply personal ode to Melchor’s friend who passed from an overdose. Melchor’s voice, accompanied by mellow acoustic guitar, is the star of the song as he memorializes his friend, who he considered one of his heroes and best friends.
Melchor examines life after devastating loss, and the importance of living life to the fullest, in “Dead Right.” He sings “I asked ‘Are you scared to die’ / You said ‘You gotta live up till you’re dead, right?’ / And I think you were dead right.” The themes of change and friendship continue in “Room On Your Shoulder.” Written with, and featuring Mt. Joy, the song explores the complexities of friendships and how they grow and evolve. The lyrics speak directly to Melchor’s friend as he sings “And if you thought about giving this a go again / Is there room on your shoulder?” Not only is Melchor asking about the status of the friendship, he is asking for support, he’s asking to lay his head on his friend’s shoulder.
The titular track, “The Diary of Living,” is a narrative driven moment that follows a woman named Amelia. Listeners are introduced to Amelia as someone who is “always reading books with sweet quotations.” She goes on to marry John, who seemed to be head over heels for her “before he found the whiskey.” Flash forward, and Amelia is sending her daughter off to college. While “The Diary of Living” is not about Melchor’s own life, Amelia’s journey reflects the unexpected nature of life that Melchor has been studying throughout the album.
“Lightweight” reflects on Melchor’s own experiences with drugs and alcohol. He remembers his teenage years singing “Sixteen on your lawn / Slept outside your house / Percocets and beers / Spent the years blacked out / I don’t remember much / I must’ve missed my fate.” As the song continues Melchor grasps the seriousness of the substances he has been consuming singing, “Grew up in the burbs / Grew up taking hits / When I saw you lying there grew up pretty quick / Lucky I’m alive / The reaper said just wait / I never took enough to die / I guess I’m a lightweight.” Soft trumpets give the song a smooth, jazz groove, despite the serious nature of the accompanying lyrics.
The album's final two songs “This Thing of Ours” and “Good Kid Bad Decisions” are drenched in warmth and sweetness. “This Thing of Ours” is a love song, plain and simple. Melchor’s gentle vocals, alongside acoustic guitar and romantic strings, tell the story of his and his partner’s relationship, and highlight just how important this love is to him. “Good Kid Bad Decisions” is a love letter to the younger Melchor and his upbringing in New Jersey. The fondness and nostalgia he has for his childhood are unmistakable as he sings “God bless the good kid making bad decisions.
When announcing the album on social media, Melchor wrote “This is for the friends I lost who stay forever in me. This is for the friends I found who told me to keep pushing. This is for the hopeful kid who grew up in New Jersey. These are the 10 most vulnerable and heartfelt songs I have ever written and I'm a little terrified but mostly thrilled you’ll have them very soon.” The openness and vulnerability that Melchor displays throughout the album allows listeners to feel as though they themselves are among Melchor’s friends, as he invites them into his diary of living.
