Pipe Dreams

So today was one of those days where I opened iTunes and I wanted to hear something new, ya know?  Something that I knew, but hadn't listened to in awhile.  So I was wandering through various playlists and genres when I came across a name that might be familiar to some -- Mark Salling.

OMG look at his eyes! *swoon*

Yes, the ever-popular Noah Puckerman from Glee.  He released a CD last year that was quite honestly fantastic.  While he had released a record before (which I've unfortunately been unable to acquire yet), Glee boosted his career enough that he was actually able to start his own company -- he wrote, produced, and performed every single song on this latest CD, which he titled Pipe Dreams.

While the CD has a whole has its merits, there are three songs in particular that I really like.  The music quality is good, his voice is good, and the lyrics are AMAZING.

For example, my absolute favorite song is Higher Power:

So, maybe something's wrong with you
Seems the world becomes disinterested in everything you do
And if your dream is to be lonely then I guess it's coming true
Are you alive
Are you even alive

Now these lyrics are a tad on the depressing side, but the song itself is slightly happier -- about the trials of love.

And then there's my second favorite song -- Lone Ranger:

Life is the gift that we make,
Love is a risk that we take
Death is just the final form of comformity,
If that's what becoming you means,
Then I'd rather be the lone ranger

And then there's the third song that I like, The Descent.  Now this song is a bit different than the other two...I'm sitting here looking at the lyrics and I can't really decide which lines I like the most -- the entire song is meaningful.  Here's the opening phrases, which lead into the idea behind the song:

Have you ever felt like you're starting to slide
Down the side of a hill at the bottom where you will lose your mind?
So many contributing factors to hide,
Ain't never will find what's hidden inside.
All your friends surround you,
They're made out of air.
They act like they do,
But they don't really care.
That just leaves the sickness,
The music in me.
Take my medicine and then you'll see.

 Any opinions?  Anyone else ever listened to Salling?  If so, let me know what you think!