Song Reviews - As It Is - 'ILY, HOW ARE YOU?' & 'IDC, I CAN'T TAKE IT'
REVIEW BY: SARAH BONNET
After their return at the end of May (with their first music since 2018's UK Top 40 album, The Great Depression) in the form of IDGAF' and follow up, I Lie To Me, earlier this month, As It Is have released two brand new singles - ILY, HOW ARE YOU? and IDC, I CAN'T TAKE IT.
Musically (and visually), the band seems to embrace the newer wave of pop-punk/emo that has been popular recently. However, they don’t stray too far from who they are and manage to still make it sound like an As It Is release. Since their formation, the band has been reinventing themselves with each album they released, but always kept their signature sound and their fans. The double release only confirmed this and I wasn’t disappointed.
In these two songs, what first stood out to me is how the lyrics bypass sugar-coated metaphors and instead, drips with an honesty and straightforwardness that make the songs extremely relatable. They show that the band isn’t scared to tackle a topic as important as mental health. The songs are like a hand held out to anyone who ever struggled with the topics Patty Walters (singer) sings about. According to the band, the double single release is a ‘call and response’ pairing, with the band having written songs back to back, with each delivering opposite perspectives. One is “I care a lot & and the other is ‘I couldn't care less."
ILY, HOW ARE YOU?
The song starts with vocals, a subtle electronic drum loop, some filtered guitar chords and a synth. They all blend together nicely to create an homogeneous but interesting texture. Halfway through the verse, the drums start increasing in intensity and lead us to a hard hitting chorus emphasized by the silence just before it. Like many good songs, the chorus is simple and easy to remember. The electronic vocal chops sounds like a new direction for the band but add a nice excitement to the song. Later in the song, a softer “synth and guitar only” interlude precedes a build up that leads to an explosive final chorus, proving us that the band know their way around dynamics and good song writing. An interesting feature of this song is how the vocals sound purposefully reserved (almost jaded), but if you listen closely, you can hear a layer of backing vocals that are higher in pitch, intensity and emotion (almost yelling) throughout most of the song. Maybe I’m reading into things a bit too much but this mix makes so much sense for a song that’s about hiding your emotions (the ‘jaded’ vocals) but not being okay inside (the quieter/angrier backing vocals).
IDC, I CAN’T TAKE IT
This is my personal favourite out of the two songs. It starts with an enticing palm-muted guitar riff. It sets the tone, already sounding faster and “happier” than the previous song. Throughout the first verse, the vocals remain relatively soft except for the occasional background vocals yelling “I can’t take it” here and there. The contrast between the soft and loud vocals offer a nice dynamic and have us expecting a heavier chorus. Indeed, when the chorus kicks in, it hits hard. The vocals sound like an anthem, catchy and perfect for a singalong and the drums are incredibly punchy. The post chorus is as energetic and a perfect way to transition into the second verse. After the second chorus, a dialed down bridge gives us a nice break in which the lyrics confirm that this song is an anthem about not caring about anything. Then the energy is back with a powerful last chorus to which I can very much imagine a crowd jumping up and down and singing along.
This double release (as well as the two singles they released earlier this year) leaves me really excited to hear what’s next for the band, which is probably the album that the band apparently just finished recording. The fact that this is their first album with Ronnie, their new guitarist, only adds to the excitement.
