In Pieces reflects on the romantic journeys of eight individuals, as they share, ponder and look back on the chosen paths and partners along the way. Set in New York City, there’s the scary excitement of being vulnerable and saying yes to whatever adventure is ahead. The magical first kiss. An unlikely friendship. Well-kept secrets. The monotony. The rebound. An awkward reunion on the train. And the honest conversations of deserving more. All these pieces of a life that at times connect and disconnect, but once at a distance, come together to create a universal remembrance of what it’s like to be young and learning in love...

Love is one of the most complex human conditions, not to mention the most subjective. We can love a memory, a feeling, a view, a sound... Even love of another living being is complex and different from person to person. The love we feel for our parents, children and grandchildren, siblings, close friends, public figures and even religious figureheads are all on different levels. But the one aspect of love that is the most emotionally rewarding, or destructive depending on the situation, is love of a partner.

In Pieces tackles this complex subject: "Our love lives are constantly "In Pieces". Shifting in and out of feeling fully complete. But you never know how a single spark one day can unlock a new you, so you make a choice at the crossroad, say yes to the coffee date, and wherever that leads, you learn to embrace the journey. This new song cycle threads Joey Contreras’ musical theatre and pop catalog into a theatrical setting, exploring the universal search for clarity and empowerment through different kinds of relationships. Many of the songs in this show have been previously released, but for this special highlights album, we’ve recorded the additional music heard in the show".

To be perfectly honest, it's not essential that you know the background to this project, or that "love" is what is the common theme here. What's important here is that all 10 songs (35 min, 34 sec) are thematically similar, but emotionally very different.

In Pieces is an album that I totally fell in love with.

9

Darren Rea