Frank Sinatra Sang Through His Broken Heart In "In The Wee Small Hours"
/There's so much music today that helps us search for comfort in our darkest times. As time goes back, less and less was available to heal broken hearts, but that's not to say there wasn't anything for it. Frank Sinatra sang through his broken heart in In The Wee Small Hours, his ninth record released in 1955 that sang gently but painfully in its gentle swing.
Sinatra's voice is something of legend, and it's easy to see why in In The Wee Small Hours. He sings so clearly and fully, yet with so much apparent emotion that his voice seems to tell a story in addition to the ones the lyrics tell. Opening track, title song 'In The Wee Small Hours On The Morning,' documents the start of Sinatra's downward spiral into the nightlife after heartbreak, his voice wondrously crooning "When your lonely heart has learned its lesson / You'd be hers if only she would call / In the wee small hours of the morning, that's the time you miss her most of all." Other songs continue to document his pain, like 'Mood Indigo' and 'Glad To Be Unhappy,' where you can really feel the sorrow in his voice.
In The Wee Small Hours is a complete exploration of Sinatra's heartbreak. He channels everything, from pain to hope to denial. Tracks like 'I Get Along Without You Very Well' seem to be forcing himself to accept that he can move on, when in reality he knows that the pain is inescapable. Even if the record is riddled with pain, there's a lot of loveliness to be taken in from it all: the gorgeous, cinematic orchestras providing a stunning backdrop for all of Sinatra's vocals, the lovely atmospheres, the vintage vibe... it all adds up. Take the dreamy sound of 'When Your Lover Has Gone,' the powerful vocals of 'Last Night We Were Young,' and the stolid plea to wait for his lover in 'I'll Be Around,' and you truly have a very deep and detailed look into Sinatra's mind and heart.
Frank Sinatra sang through his broken heart in In The Wee Small Hours, providing the world with a deep and intense look at what it means to go through such powerful emotions. Though decades have passed, these emotions have much stayed the same, and they forever will. It's music like this that remains both timeless because the emotions it comes with are so powerful.
Favorite Track: In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning, Last Night When We Were Young
Least Favorite Track: Glad To Be Unhappy
Rating: 78 / 100
Stream or buy In The Wee Small Hours on Apple Music, and follow our Throwback Playlist on Spotify: