Wednesday 9 May 2018

Album Review: ANDREW W.K. - You're Not Alone

Andrew W.K. - You're Not Alone

01. The Power Of Partying
02. Music Is Worth Living For
03. Ever Again
04. I Don't Know Anything
05. The Feeling Of Being Alive
06. Party Mindset
07. The Party Never Dies
08. Give Up On You
09. Keep On Going
10. In Your Darkest Moments
11. The Devil's On Your Side
12. Break The Curse
13. Total Freedom
14. Beyond Oblivion
15. Confusion And Clarity
16. You're Not Alone

I haven't heard anything from Andrew W.K. since his single We Want Fun from the Jackass movie was getting played every five minutes on Scuzz and Kerrang! TV many moons ago. After doing a little research, I've found out that You're Not Alone is in fact his fifth studio album! I had no idea that he'd made so many records. I think it's safe to say that in the UK, Andrew W.K. is synonymous with his 2001 hit single Party Hard, and the likelihood of him ever shaking that is pretty much zero. That's not so bad though, most artists spend a lifetime trying to write a killer hit that resonates with so many people and becomes a staple of every Rock DJ's set.

In 2018, not a great deal has changed, especially not Andrew's wardrobe. I think he's still wearing the same clothes he wore in 2001, which is weirdly re-assuring as I still have plenty of hoodies and T-Shirts from back then too. Who needs to waste money on new clothes? Anyway, onto You're Not Alone.

The running theme seems to be self-empowerment through the act of 'partying', with Andrew W.K being the listener's life coach, offering strength, resilience and self-belief. This is compounded with the inclusion of a number of spoken word tracks where Andrew offers his pearls of wisdom.

It's all very triumphant and dramatic, and while 'partying' is mentioned a lot, the record sounds more like a reflective celebration of the ups and downs of life as opposed to something you'd actually put on at a party. That's the main problem I have with You're Not Alone. Some of the songs on here are quite good, but they're more akin to punked-up power ballads than the high-octane rockers I was hoping for.

If Andrew W.K. doesn't land another hit as big as Party Hard in the near future, I can see him becoming some kind of cult leader in California, surrounded by half-naked women eagerly waiting for his next sermon on the meaning of life. Beats an office job, I guess.

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