Mister Romantic – What’s Not to Love? Review

Get into the box with Mister Romantic. It is where he resides in the prelude to the show. What that show is, be it a performance or a reflection, is somewhat irrelevant. What’s Not to Love? has John C. Reilly tackle a need for individualism in a world dominated by engagement and influence. Is it not enough to find your own path? Mister Romantic is that. An alter ego of sorts, but equally as charming and cool as Reilly comes across in interviews discussing his debut album. Just Another Sucker on the Vine, the opening song for this collection of standards, covered brilliantly by Reilly, is a cry out for the audience. They need attention, not Reilly. He has found comfort with Mister Romantic and hopes even a second of these classics can bring on the same feeling for his listeners. Break out of the box, think outside of it, and never return. What’s Not to Love? has an incredible charm to it.  

Reilly ditches the humour associated with the character elsewhere and offers a straight adaptation of the vaudeville sound. A tad similar to Seasonal Depression Suite from Neil Hamburger, but with a looser story. A focus not on the heartbreaks which come from spoken-word intervals, but from the emotive, soft style Reilly brings to these covers. Lead single Dreams is a delightful piece adapting the classy sounds of the past with the ambitions of the current day. Dream bigger, step outside of the box, it is all a chance for people to break from the chase of unfulfilling and ill-thought-out ideas. It’s hard not to be charmed and carried away by the spoken-word break on La Vie En Rose, a song which sounds sweet with just about anyone singing it. But those sparse instrumentals, taking turns to provide an emotive blow, are the key here. Reilly’s honest ambition to make good on clarifiers in life, those cliché calls to live it to the full, is delightful.  

We take many of those warnings for granted, but What’s Not to Love? tries to kindle them all the same. Truly delicate moments on You Don’t Know Me revive that connection between listener and overplayed songs. We turn to covers for a fresh shot of interest in songs which are taken to the stage all too often. Our frequent run-ins with all-time great pieces of work can date them, and Reilly steps in to give these songs another chance at emotionally provocative occasions. It works. Falling in Love Again can be taken at face value, a romance song of lost partners, or it can be viewed as a reason to rekindle your passions, to take that step back into a risk-laden but ultimately satisfying life. Great albums are those which coax projection out of the listener without trying. What’s Not to Love? does just that.  

There’s a warmth to Reilly’s voice which makes this possible, that makes songs like I Guess I’ll Get the Papers and Go Home feel lived in and faithful to the times. He tackles a genre overwhelmed by overt sincerity and love. There is nuance to be had in the almost hopeless sound Reilly brings to songs like Picture in a Frame. It’s the overwhelming dedication he gives that works here, which makes these songs feel like genuine tributes to the era. They expand on it while keeping those core instrumental and vocal stylings the same. These passion projects are rare, because passion is not a viable income anymore. But it is always sweet to hear the established few who do care for art beyond its financial takings piece together a loving nod to a genre which has been left dormant all too long. Reilly has a beautiful voice, an honest intent, and the hope of inspiring people out of their box.