While a few strong arrangements really stand out, others do not land as well from a structure/layout standpoint. They did a great job in pairing tracks with similar messages and emotions which allows for easier transitions within the mashups. And with the exception of The Incredibles M edley, Scott and Ryceejo arranged all of the tracks on the album. The songs have been recorded with such emotion and passion that Walt himself would be very proud. With songs from almost fifteen different movies, ranging from The Little Mermaid to Coco, this album is truly a Disney lover's dream with so many classics to belt along to.įrom the first mashup to the last, it's clear that Scott & Ryceejo are at least as big of a Disney fan as I am, if not more so. Excited to hear Scott and Ryceejo hone their strengths, work out their weaknesses, and incorporate even more of their growing musical family in Volume 2!īefore I get into the review of the record, a fair warning to our readers - if you are not a super Disney fan, this may not be the record for you. When the formula goes awry, as in Mother Knows Best / In Here and Remember Me / You'll Be In My Heart, it makes you wish they would just do one really awesome song instead of shoehorning two into something less than awesome. Everything comes together in Where You Are / Under the Sea, How Far I'll Go / Go the Distance, and The Incredibles Medley (arranged by David Fowler). At their best, Scott and Ryceejo have mastered the art of extending irresistible melodies into full-length listens. If you love Disney tunes, or are just in the market for some uplifiting a cappella, Disney Mashups, Vol.
Though it is interesting to hear how often Disney recycles themes and character templates, and how easy it is to overlay perennial favorites, such repetition detracts from the otherwise infectious sense of energy and creativity Scott and Ryceejo bring to their music. Put them together, and the arrangements immediately feel as formulaic as, well, the Disney catalog. If you were scrolling through YouTube videos looking for novel takes on Disney classics, any one of these tracks would tug your heartstrings. Scott and Ryceejo don't need to save their fairytale kingdoms or prove something to their stubborn family members (we hope), but they do need to find a way to make their music less predictable. No Disney story is complete without something to overcome. Despite overdubbing the same two voices over and over, the tracks sound full, dynamic, and even achieve various timbres to suit the occasion. To be so involved in the whole process is impressive, to do it at this caliber is downright Herculean. In addition to leads, Scott and Ryceejo personally take credit for just about all the backing vocals and percussion, arrangements, and post-production. They are expressive without being melodramatic, and sell all those out-there notes and conversational interludes that make musical numbers what they are. These singers have voices on the higher end of the register that consistently ring clear and blend beautifully with one another. Sounds a bit like Ariel or Aladdin, right? This self-described "husband and wife music duo" has developed a stage persona (presumably reflecting a real life persona) every bit as darling as a Disney story, with voices to match.
In 2016 they released La La Love, their ten-track debut album characterized as "bright", "lovey-dovey", and "starry-eyed". Scott and Ryceejo began singing together in choral groups at Brigham Young University, and have since gotten married, started a family, and risen to YouTube stardom together. With their theatrical appeal and recognizable melodies, Disney and a cappella are a match as inevitable as Tarzan and Jane. It is a genre that transcends generations with lyrics children proudly memorize for the first time and grown-ups nostalgically never seem to forget. They sew together the catchiness and thematic universalism of pop hits with the playful twists and plot-driven contextualism of show tunes. Disney songs are a genre unto themselves.