Brighton via Minneapolis emo pop-punks As It Is have the weight of the world on their shoulders as they unleash ‘Never Happy, Ever After’ on the highly expectant world. Boasting one of the strongest online followings for any alternative artist out there, not least due to vocalist Patty Walters’ YouTube dabbling, and finding themselves signed as the first UK act to Fearless Records, many eyes are pointed their way.
A large proportion of those eyes would follow As It Is, completed by Ben Biss, Andy Westhead, Patrick Foley and Ali Testo, to the end of the earth. In some ways, ‘Never Happy, Ever After’ could be the sound of the five-piece sneezing simultaneously and still cause a sensational whirlwind.
Fortunately, ‘Never Happy, Ever After’ is more than competent. Sitting firmly at the poppier end of the pop-punk spectrum, there are equal nods to emo stalwarts such as Taking Back Sunday (see ‘Dial Tones’) as there are to guitar driven commercial acts that dominated the mid noughties (see ‘Drowning Deep In Doubt’). In both, the record is unashamedly sentimental; in doing so harnessing a charm that will instantly appeal to specific audiences.
‘Never Happy, Ever After’ is emo through and through (“I can’t help, the way my mind is hardwired to hate myself,” Walters sings on ‘Can’t Save Myself’). With the simple melodies and Walter’s subtle vocals, the record delivers this sound with minimal force, which may frustrate fans of the heavier side of emo. Their delivery style however perfectly suits their arrangements and their overall persona. Album closer ‘You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder’ is as brazenly dewy-eyed as they come.
Fundamentally, As It Is are an honest, heart-on-their-sleeve emo outfit. With little pretension of being anything more or less, ‘Never Happy, Ever After’ is exactly what the band set out to create and exactly what fans will love. Never pushing into the extremes, and filled with heart wrenching ballads galore, it’s destined to inspire a particular generation. Depending on whether you fall within that group, As It Is will either be your new favourite band or will pass you by. Either way, ‘Never Happy, Ever After’ achieves gold.
BEN TIPPLE