All My Love, the record by Paul Studer is a tribute album; his wife, Diane, died on November 3, 2022. Two days after her death Paul was sectioned even though he wanted to stay a voluntary patient. This painful circumstance not only aggravated the grief, but also deprived him of the opportunity to say the last goodbye to Diane during her funeral, thus leaving him with the feeling of having some sort of the unsaid business.
And since it was Diane, Paul was ready to go on a personal mission to make sure she was honored. On one of the allowed outings from the hospital he plotted an escape to Switzerland to look for whatever other kin he had left. Therefore, while not obtaining the family reunion Paul desired, it highlighted his newfound freedom giving him the release he needed after five weeks in the hospital.
Featuring orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, “All My Love” is an album that speaks about Paul’s life and his capacity to survive after losing a loved one. The first track, “Budgie”, is gentle with strings and piano to establish a pensive mood – many of the tracks are relatively subdued and lyrical.
“Muddy River”, the fourth track in the album, has closer to rocks and there is a certain sort of sorrow that these deep strings and this palliative melody gives out. This is followed by “New Born Day” which is a much more joyful and positive sounding track again denoting a new day and the possibility of a new beginning and the coming of light after the darkness.
The best song I think on this album is ‘Can You Hear Me,’ where listeners are introduced into Paul’s world of yearning and the orchestra rising in support of his intense search for comfort. On the same note, ‘On My Own’ is a very autobiographical song about loneliness and fighting, where in the versed Paul describes his loneliness while the music sounds like he is truly at peace when denying it.
The last song in the album is “Storm Clouds” which tells of Paul’s disturbed state and his ability to come out of it. The album is not only in memory of Diane but also explains Paul’s angle and process of mourning through music with beautiful lyrics surrounded by strings.
