Positively belting their brains out, this It’s You! It’s Me! And There’s Dancing! record comes crashing through the door with an infectious intensity. Clocking in at only 15 minutes, the record encapsulates a plethora of themes into such a quick catharsis of creativity. It feels like one of those records that you listen to all the way through as the majority of the songs bleed into one another and contain similar motifs. Everything about this record is a ray of positivity that makes it hard to be in a bad mood. Lyrically poetic while retaining that intense vocal delivery creates a mood that should feel conflicting but is insanely cohesive.
II
As an introduction to this collection of songs, II is a very short, 34-second piece of guitar and synth. It has a steady tempo and feels like a solid start before the true first song of the record.
Work Hard or Suffer Every Day of Your Life
“I’m trying, god damn it, I’m trying, to be a better person, in all walks of life" is a truly profound way to start lyrically. Instrumentally, the band lays down a solid beat that grounds the song while the vocalist screams their heart out. There is a nod to the intro track when, at the 10-second mark, the guitars continue hammering on a single note while the rest of the band cuts out entirely. Bringing forth lots of energy, the drums create a steady rhythm that is powerful and packs a punch. The final lyrics, and the namesake of the song, “Work hard or suffer, every day of your life,” are backed up with a gang-vocal style delivery and one set of lyrics that feels all too relatable as I go into my 30th year around the sun. Sonically, the track feels cohesive, and I’m able to hear all individual instruments.
Tenderness
The band leaves no room to catch your breath as they pummel into yet another powerful track. These first 4 songs on the record feel like ones you need to listen to as a collection to get the full scope of what this band brings to the table. Lyrically, I was not actually certain what was being said until I dove into the lyrics sheet, which feels more like a poem/spoken word than a song. In that way, the band brings variety that sets them apart from the pack. My favorite moment on this song, and one of my favorites on the record, is the section at 0:18 when the band pounds into the song as a unit. It elaborates on themes already present in the album and puts on display what the band does well: cohesion.
Ruminate//Ward
This constitutes what I feel is the first half of the album. We get a broader taste of different elements of the band’s sound with the inclusion of the synth at the very beginning. Additionally, we get our first break where it’s solely vocals and bass holding it down while guitars drown out in feedback. Truthfully, I do wish the bass had some more definition between notes, but I do like the slight grit in their tone that comes out on the last few notes. The first half of the song ends with plenty of feedback until one guitar comes in with a little riff to usher in the new vibe of the song. Positively inspiring, this band encapsulates a truly positive outlook in a world that feels so bleak at times. Especially with the line “Your thoughts are just that, so let them go”.
For Whomever
If you are not into feedback, this may be one that you end up skipping due to the sheer amount. Guitar delivers a beautiful section that directly constrasts with the noise it lives in.
Softer Synaptic
If For Whomever was the intermission, the band comes hitting the ground with love and fury. Drums bring that solid kick that keeps you grounded; the guitars hammer out chords. Meanwhile, another guitar brings in a melodic riff that feels like a surge to bring the energy back up. Synth makes notable appearances in the first half of the track, which feels similar to some emo from the 2000s. One thing this band has going for it is a way to deliver truly poetic lines in a way that leaves the listener curious and engaged. Upon reading up on the lyrics, I started to thoroughly enjoy the storytelling and positivity contained in these statements. While the vocalist screams, “A touch, without feeling. Cold hands, provide healing,” the band continues to hammer down on similar motifs present throughout the record and truly jam out a bit. Guitars and bass create a wall of sound that give the vocalist room to hammer out that same repetition of lyrics to usher the song out.
Great Collision States
This feels like a true punk blend of emo that cuts through to remind you that the band can truly shred and deliver a longer song that still brings in those familiar attributes you love from a short song. I love that guitar riff that continues to drive the song along, hi-hat-driven drums that bring plenty of energy, while the band cohesively explores the terrain of their sound. One guitar does somewhat of a solo on this track that feels somewhat fleshed out but could have been executed in a way that felt more realized. This song truly takes the listener on a journey as they continue to descend into a marching rhythm on the drums that slowly decays. Guitars, bass, and vocals continue on while drums cut out until close to the end when a flurry of cymbals can be heard ringing in the background.
Here Comes the Hurrah
This song is fitting in that it is truly the last hurrah of the record. Guitars usher in the song like many of the songs on this record.“It’s about confidence, it’s a stab at decadence” is a truly brilliant line that feels at home in the context of this record as well. Everything feels familiar throughout the record, yet always adapted to what the song needs in the moment. Around the 55-second mark, the bass brings the low-end, which feels like a truly natural progression for the song to take. Drums bring an almost d-beat drum style around 1:17 that made me want to two-step at my desk. One thing I found charming about this song, and about the band in particular, is how often the drums follow the other instruments and how effortless it feels. At times, it can feel a bit out of time with each other so I do hope to see the band only progress from here on everything they’ve delivered with this release. Slowly, we descend into an emotional delivery from the vocals that devolves into a saturation of feedback from guitars. It truly feels like the last hurrah of the record and a fitting end. The final lyrical section “Oh but in the end, I guess the joke was on me. Because you’re out a dollar, But I’m out a friend” is a well executed decision by a band that truly puts their heart on their sleeves.
