Album Review: Everything Everything - Arc

Everything Everything
Arc
Rating: Grrrr

Manchester quartet Everything Everything debuted in 2010 with Man Alive, a quirky pop record that entranced as many people as it put off. Over sputtering rhythms and whiplash time changes, the band sped through almost every genre imaginable, anchored by Jonathan Higgs' squalling falsetto, which has the ability to both offend and transfix. For me, it was a mixed bag. Even during one song it could swing wildly between both extremes annoying me to no end. With their sophomore album Arc I was expecting more of the same, however, like Wild Beasts movement from their first baroquely over-the-top first record to the more subtle and sublime Two Dancers, Everything Everything have toned their worst qualities down and have come back with a more mature, but still distinctive record. Arc moves cleanly through more angular, jittery songs and beautifully realized ballads and more textural numbers. Higgs' voice, which when reigned in is gorgeous, still has a tendency to reach for high notes that can border on screeching, but for the most part he keeps it in check.

Arc rushes out of the gates with two prototypical Everything Everything tracks, the stuttering, percussion fueled "Cough Cough" and the battling harmonies and swirling melodies of "Kemosabe,"



but hangs a sharp left for the first time with the more intimate and complex "Torso of the Week" which trades the off-kilter rhythms for a more subdued palate.



The album soars when it hits these more somber, contemplative moments. From the aching heart of "Choice Mountain," the mournful strains of "The House Is Dust,"



to the delicate, piano-led ballad "The Peaks," these more intimate moments are the heart and soul of the record and bring it to the point of brilliance. This is not to say that the other, more boisterous tracks are somehow inferior. Their impact is actually sharpened due to the more varied array of tracks and tempos. "Feet For Hands" pulsates under hard-driving drums, bouncy synths, and strident acoustic guitars, "Undrowned" uses calliope-esque keyboards as a base to build the track into a battle of interlocking guitars and Higgs' ever panicked voice,



while the majestic skyscraping synths and guitars of album highlight "Radiant" showcase the band's reach and power.



Arc is a monster leap ahead in confidence and ability for the Manchester band. It is not going to be an album for everyone though, as Higgs' voice is still a little to divisive to truly win over a lot of people. I liked that he reeled it in a little this go around, while still adding his distinctive falsetto throughout. The trick is for him to reach that perfect balance between the two. Based on Arc, they are definitely heading in the right direction.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.