Review: All We Are - All We Are
By Eli Schoop, Contributor
[Domino; 2015]
Rating: 3/10
Key Track: “Go"
All We Are. Not exactly the first thing that pops into one's mind when thinking of potential band names. It reeks of grandiosity and meaning, yet contributes both as much as a random piss would. All We Are's debut is frankly unappealing. When your main aesthetic is blatantly ripped from such UK NME-hype bands as the xx and Klaxons, it's not a good sign.
Seriously though, it's 2015. I thought we were done with this trite, meandering indie-synth-rock hybrid that propped itself up across both the US and England over the past half-decade. The usual adjectives are thrown around, i.e. “lush,” “reverberated” and “expansive;” they are hollow and disingenuous when corroborated for such an example.
Much of the problem lies with all too similar feeling that is as sensual as a heart attack at this point in time. Derivative would be an easy descriptor, but it doesn't do the vanilla paste vibe justice in ripping this apart. Junkyards could serve as a more deliverable setting of ambiance. More car commercial music in this day and age is really not a productive thing.
Case in point: “Keep It Alive.” Its measures are a stale groove coupled with the frontman's feeble attempt at mirroring alt-j's vocal style. It's not too simple, but certainly not outlandish enough to risk alienating a projected fanbase. As the march towards the climax fills with apathy, the repetitive, textured guitars are too fine-tuned to actually cause an emotional dent.
It's not that risk-averse music is necessarily a bad thing. Think of groups like Real Estate and Migos, whose output is largely confined to one singular aesthetic and mood. They make it work by combining a distinctive sound with an effortless direction and take on their individual genres. All We Are doesn't do either approach well, performing in contrived form and completely negating its influences' positive aspects.
“Go” is a minimal redeeming factor on All We Are. Its method being tranquility, it's a very calming journey into the more relaxing side of All We Are. When not trying to be the next big thing by way of sleek pop, the song shows that the band does have a fair bit of instrumental fortitude and can craft compositions remotely creative and appealing.
Although the mainstream indie may flock to this whether or not it gets an Arctic Monkeys co-sign, the rest of us can only hope that this fizzles out vis-à-vis overplay on BBC Radio. Monochromatic and barely distinguishable, its familiar scent gives it buzz and a hint of something more, yet like all the other one-note English bands in the new millennium, it stays stale regardless of outside influences.
