{"id":10748,"date":"2015-04-20T12:28:47","date_gmt":"2015-04-20T12:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-as-it-is-never-happy-ever-after\/"},"modified":"2025-04-17T21:27:02","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T20:27:02","slug":"album-review-as-it-is-never-happy-ever-after","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-as-it-is-never-happy-ever-after\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: As It Is –\u00a0Never Happy, Ever After"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Pop punk\u2019s new poster boys As It Is<\/strong> prove their diversity and credibility with their debut \u2018Never Happy, Ever After\u2019<\/em>. Forming in 2012 and becoming the first UK signing to Fearless Records a mere two years later is a feat in itself. But four prolific EPs later and As It Is<\/strong> have found themselves in a clear and constant stage of musical maturity worthy of writing and recording a full-length. True to its title, their self-deprecating debut \u2018Never Happy, Ever After\u2019<\/em> spans the spectrum between indifference and resentment at the hands of emotional turmoil.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Bursting with energetic pop-punk from the get-go, \u2018Speak Soft\u2019<\/em> opens with a contagious riff and even catchier lyrics. \u201cWhy should I stick around when all I do is let you down?\u201d<\/em> stands as the album\u2019s first testament to their consistent lyrical quality. \u201cWe\u2019re the kids who were dead inside, but we\u2019re the ones who feel alive,\u201d<\/em> chants the determined \u2018Cheap Shots & Setbacks\u2019<\/em>, providing a perfect outlet for teen frustration and showing As It Is<\/strong> have fully deserved the hype of late.<\/p>\n

\u2018Drowning Deep In Doubt\u2019<\/em> whispers for help, while lead single \u2018Dial Tones\u2019<\/em> screams for it, forging an anthem of giving up with an inherently pop-punk, optimistic melody. The contrast of cleans and screams depicts an emotional conflict of interest throughout the record, as Patty Walters and Benjamin Biss serenade \u2018Concrete\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Sorry\u2019<\/em> with their confrontational dialogue of conflicting melodic cleans and harsh shouts. Alluding to the band\u2019s longevity, \u2018Concrete\u2019<\/i> regenerates the empowering Funeral For A Friend-esque riffs the scene has sorely missed.<\/p>\n

Emphatically pouring their hearts out through acoustic efforts \u2018My Oceans Were Lakes\u2019<\/em> and \u2018Silence (Pretending\u2019s So Comfortable)\u2019<\/em>, As It Is<\/strong> possesses a versatility capable of breaking hearts and mending them simultaneously. Winning the award for the most pop-punk track title, \u2018You, The Room And The Devil On Your Shoulder\u2019<\/em> seductively whispers right up to the mic, while \u2018Turn Back To Me\u2019<\/em> resigns itself to responsibility for the past with lyrics like \u201cmy mind\u2019s a frightening and lonely place I can\u2019t escape at night.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As relatable as they come, As It Is<\/strong> demonstrates a lyrical capability that transcends eloquence; their writing is simply loaded with impeccable timing and an eye for realism. \u201cI can\u2019t help the way my mind is hard-wired to hate myself\u201d<\/em>, cries the self-loathing \u2018Can\u2019t Save Myself\u2019<\/em>, acutely defining the record\u2019s overall ethos \u2013 accept them As It Is<\/strong>, they won\u2019t change for anyone.<\/p>\n

Defiant in its emotional defeat, \u2018Never Happy, Ever After\u2019<\/em> presents the next generation of pop-punk in all its beautifully broken multi-faceted glory, telling it As It Is<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

4.5\/5<\/p>\n

\u2019Never Happy, Ever After\u2019<\/em> by As It Is<\/strong> is out now on Fearless Records<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As It Is<\/strong> links: Website<\/a>|Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Ali Cooper (@AliZombie_<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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