ReLove’s “Fly Away (Anything Is Possible)” begins with the sound of a ticking clock, which then gives way to a thumping groove colored by soulful organ. “I don’t care about time” they sing later, as though there’s no clock anywhere within earshot. “Should I get up or stay in bed/I can’t find the answer in my head,” is the pressing question that opens the song. That query may read like a downer. It’s not, though. Instead, this song is all about imagination.
Taken from the Music on a Mission! EP, “Fly Away (Anything Is Possible)” sounds like the sister song to Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” It shares both a soulful arrangement and lyrics about waking up. While Wham!’s was only really concerned with partying, though, while ReLove is all about using one’s imagination and expressing an overt zest for life.
The song downshifts from an upbeat soul groove, to a slower reggae groove where a female voice sings, “Now I lay me down to sleep.” Whether awake or asleep, this group is dreaming big dreams. Not surprisingly, ReLove is a Los Angeles based group self-described as a reggae/soul band. And just with this one song, the group incorporates both its reggae and soul side. The reggae part even includes a trumpet solo. And is that a harp accompanying the female vocal part? Yep, there’s sure a lot going on during this track.
With its message of positivity, and music that fully compliments this lyrical optimism, “Fly Away (Anything Is Possible)” expresses a joyous forward-thinking attitude rarely heard in today’s pop music. Sadly, these sentiments are usually heard only in children’s music alone. That’s a shame, too. What, do we stop thinking positively after childhood? When we ‘grow up’ and face the ‘real world,’ are we suddenly expected to become Debbie and Davy Downers? Who says we must give up our joy as soon as we pass puberty? Maybe society says to do this, but ReLove is actively resisting that unspoken command. Their music is so positive, they almost sound like they’re having a religious revival while performing.
The song’s lyric talks about strapping on wings and imagining anything. When was the last time you felt that way? Chances are good, it was when you were a grade school student about to start summer break. No school, no routine and no worries. What if we looked at adult life this way, though? Think how much better life would be. It’s funny how people always extol the virtue of thinking outside the box, yet rarely actually do so. When you think outside the box, anything is, indeed, possible.
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It’s easy to imagine ReLove singing this song live. When you listen to it, you can’t help but picture an audience dancing wildly. Speaking of children, they are oftentimes the first ones to dance at a wedding reception. They don’t care who’s looking, or how they look. They just hear the music and move to it. Why can’t adults be the same way? Sure, you can continue to live down to society’s expectations and play the part of Debbie or Davy Downer, but you’ll have so much more fun dancing wildly to ReLove’s “Fly Away (Anything is Possible).” The choice is yours.
-Dan MacIntosh
