The Bee Gees on diazepam? Formed at Paul McCartney’s performing arts school, LIPA, this self-proclamation from Liverpool (via Norway/Ireland/Brazil) trio All We Are is a bit of a head scratcher if one only ever heard the barn burning single āKeep Me Aliveā. Upon listening to the whole of the album, Stone (Domino Recordings), the description begins to make a little more sense, if only sporadically. Shall we??
Clearly not indicative of the whole of the album, āKeep Me Aliveā is by far the standout, its dreamy guitar hooks and Guro Gikling’s haunting vocals (think Cortney Tidwell) make the LP worth its salt for sure. Sprinkled among the ethereal guitar twinklings and charming falsetto-infused harmonies is a mix of soul, XXish basslines (āFeel Safeā) and, if you can believe it, disco headĀ-nodders (āI Wear You”). Cue the Bee Gees. For a listener it’s a bit exhausting…but pleasantly so.
As an album it is all over the place stylistically. To be perfectly honest, I had my fingers crossed and locked in hopes that the penultimate track āSomething About Youā would round things out and be a gazey, reworked Level 42 cover. Dreamy, yes, but also a lovely original (cue sad, 11 year-Āold Abby, circa 1984). Are they finding their voice with this debut? Perhaps. Think it just might be a matter of having too much talent in their musical pockets. Nothing wrong with that.
Nothing at all.
Stone is available in shops now. Catch All We AreĀ live in the UK and Europe starting 5 February.
Happy Monday.
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