Andrew W. K.

You're Not Alone

Written by: RUB on 26/04/2018 10:53:37

The feel-good party king is back with a new album after a baffling eight years of silence with regard to new music. The album came out almost two months ago, but due to a packed university schedule and the fact that most of my ‘anticipated albums’ were released during the first couple of months of the year, I’ve only now gotten around to checking out this newest outing from Andrew W.K., “You’re Not Alone”. Before spinning the record, it is quite obvious he hasn’t lost his keen sense of partying, which initially was one of the reasons that he became so famous. With titles like “The Power of Partying” (although this only serves as an intro), “Party Mindset” and “The Party Never Dies”, it would seem like he hasn’t given up yet, on keeping the party going as strongly as ever. In a sense, this is also the general theme of the album, but after several listens, it became crystal clear that his musical focus has changed and developed into a different, yet very positive and mature version of his signature style.

Andrew W. K. has always been able to write catchy tunes that mix electronic beats with both keyboard/piano and guitars to create a huge stadium hard rock soundscape — probably best seen on some of his biggest hits like “I Get Wet” and of course “Party Hard”. On this album however, there’s also some different tracks to take note of. The first real track, “Music is Worth Living For”, has a massive chorus that will have you nodding along in no time. This track sets the pace for the first section of the album, giving you wave after wave of over-the-top positive vibes, which is an obvious theme that runs throughout the entire album. This is also seen on the highlight “Ever Again”, which presents a wonderfully catchy composition with its whoooaaa-wooah chants and positively charged chorus:

They say that nobody changes, but I’m living proof that they do / Because I found the answer, and you can find the answer too / They made me think I was crazy, and that the pain was here to stay / But now that I found the answer, I’m never ever gonna lose my way / Ever again / Ever again

It might come off as a pretty cheesy chorus but damnit, it just works — and I can only imagine that all this positive thinking would help make one feel better. This theme is revisited in different shapes on several tracks later on the record.

Not everything is as serious as the former track though. “I Don’t Know Anything” is that household fast-paced party track that clocks in just short of the 3-minute mark, but it ensures that the tempo is not lost, albeit there being several slower songs on the album as well. However, it already feels like the record is not only a testimony to how to write party anthems as one would’ve expected, but also a very surprising evolution in maturity, as he sings about more serious issues like depression, being human, life, challenges and positive thinking. It would seem like the king of partying has stepped a bit toward the background, and instead managed to write one of the best feel-good and positive albums of this year, with a message to all the unhappy, depressed and miserable people out there: you’re not alone!

A few negative aspects must be mentioned nonetheless. With three different tracks, “The Feeling of Being Alive”, “In Your Darkest Moments” and “Confusion and Clarity”, the flow of the record is broken, as they’re come across as some sort of motivational speeches about positive thinking. They somehow ruin the pace and flow of the album — and even though that’s a minor detail of less importance in this case, it still feels like they’re separating the album into three sections. However, they nonetheless help tie the album nicely together and help make the overall message and meaning of the album clear as day. Besides that, there’s a few tracks that seem rather unnecessary to me, like the instrumental “Beyond Oblivion”, and also “Give Up on You”, that simply pale in comparison to the rest and could probably have been left out. But again, those don’t take anything away from the many great tracks highlighted in the download section of this article.

And that is basically what you get with this album. To use Andrew’s own words about it: it emits a “super life-force feeling”. You simply cannot help but feel better after listening to “You’re Not Alone”. Albums like this, I’m sure, will help lift your spirit, even when it feels most bleak or when it seems impossible to ever smile again. Whether because of the bright-sounding tunes or by the overall uplifting attitudes that the lyrics have, it’s all about positive thinking, feeling good about yourself and possibly most importantly, keeping the party going — all with the power of awesome grandiose music.

Download: Ever Again, Music is Worth Living For, I Don’t Know Anything, Keep on Going, The Party Never Dies, The Devil’s on Your Side, Party Mindset
For the fans of: CKY, Bowling For Soup, The Darkness
Listen: Facebook

Release date 02.03.2018
Sony Music

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