Album Review: Everything’s Fine
This being my first blog in a very long time, I thought I’d review The Summer Set’s ‘Everything’s Fine’.
When The Summer Set released their first record, Love Like This, in 2009, their ages ranged from 18 to 20. Now, ranging from 20 to 22, they have experienced much more as their lives progressed. It really is amazing how much you can experience in two years, especially when you are living your life on the fringes of society in what most people consider an unorthodox lifestyle. The band toured almost non-stop and experienced things that very few people will ever experience.
To say that the band progressed musically from 2009 to 2011 would be a heavy understatement. What I would consider to be the biggest difference between Love Like This and Everything’s Fine would be the lyricism. The songs on EF have much more soul and much more truth in them than anything on Love Like This. By soul, I don’t mean the genre - But the songs tell a story and it’s easy to believe that these stories actually happened.
While talking about storytelling and how it relates to the writing of Everything’s Fine, I feel that it is important to point out that Everything’s Fine could definitely be considered a concept album. Every song tells a piece of a story of one person’s first love and almost everything that happened in that time. It’s story of a boy so in love with a girl that he managed to put her in front of everything else, despite his plate being loaded with priorities. It’s personally the most heartbreaking and beautiful love story I know of.
One of the best things about Everything’s Fine is it’s consistency, which is one department I felt that Love Like This lacked in. It feels like this is the sound the band was always going for but were never able to achieve previously. Every song flows into each other seamlessly. These songs just sound honest. You can tell that they believe in what they are writing. The record was originally supposed to titled “Naked” which I felt would fit very well due to the open nature of this record.
I still feel that Everything’s Fine is the best title though; Everyone who has been in a relationship can relate to the title. Adding the =( to the title completely changes the connotation of it. This is what everyone can relate to. It’s that point in a failing relationship when you try to tell yourself that everything’s fine when it’s the complete opposite.
When I first discussed the record with the band after hearing About A Girl for the first time, I was told that About A Girl is basically the thesis for the record. After hearing the record, I can absolutely agree on it. About A Girl is a stand out track on the record because it doesn’t actually tell a piece of the progressing story but more of an overview of everything on the record.
When describing this record to someone who hasn’t heard anything, the best I could do would be: OneRepublic meets The Lion King meets Train meets Parachute. Perfect examples of this would be Thick as Thieves, Someone Like You, and Love To You. The OneRepublic vibes are definitely apparent on Back To The Start.
While The Summer Set took a new approach on this record, they still have songs comparable to their older music. These influences are obvious on songs like Begin Again, Mannequin and Must Be The Music.
With all praise comes complaints. This is that part. I honestly only have one complaint about this record and it’s the order of the tracklist. I understand why it is the way it is but I enjoy it in a chronological order to where it tells the story in order. The way it currently is tells the story out of order but certain songs are placed where they are for better effect. About A Girl and Don’t Let Me Go absolutely needed to be the opener and closer, respectively. Don’t Let Me Go works amazingly as the closer for the album. It also has some of the strongest lasting power out of The Summer Set’s entire catalog. It’s a song that will stay in your mind for the next hour while thinking about the emotions of the writer.
I feel like, as a concept album, it would be more effective in the order listed below. With all due respect to the band and the original order of the songs, I recommend re-ordering the songs on your iTunes in this order to tell a chronological story.
1. About A Girl
2. Love To You
3. Someone Like You
4. Mona Lisa
5. Must Be The Music
6. Thick As Thieves
7. Mannequin
8. Back To The Start
9. When We Were Young
10. Don’t Let Me Go
11. Begin Again
I’m sure most of you have already picked up Everything’s Fine. If you haven’t it’s in stores, on iTunes and available on their current tour with We The Kings!
