I adore when bands begin new eras, and AS IT IS has welcomed “okay.” in the most unique way possible. The aesthetic of the album shines through from the “Happy Co.” advertisements resembling 1950’s radio broadcasts and commercials, to throwing it back to high school dances in the gym, featuring swing dancing and puffy dresses in the music video for “Pretty Little Distance”. AS IT IS has made their comeback to the pop-punk world with hearts and melodies designed to remind us that in a time where life seemed to be the epitome of the American Dream, it’s okay to show that maybe not everything is okay.
AS IT IS also changed their sound and I am so here for it. I haven’t been this excited for an album to come out since who knows when. I could physically feel the energy of a live show through every recorded track, resulting in me dancing around my incredibly small dorm room copious amounts of times since release day. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m hyped.
Let’s start with the first three songs that were released beforehand; the title track “Okay”, “Pretty Little Distance”, and “No Way Out” did not prepare fans for the bands drastic change in sound. While “Okay” and “No Way Out” have darker lyrics and heavier guitars, “Pretty Little Distance” was the first upbeat song to get fans excited and curious about what these boys had up their sleeves.
I love how unapologetically honest AS IT IS is with their fans through this album. They hold nothing back lyrically or musically. They added little things to their songs that catch listeners by surprise, such as the fade in from “Patchwork Love” into “Curtains Close”, or the anger coming from the vocals during the bridge of “No Way Out”. I also wouldn’t be surprised if “Until I Return” became an anthem for AS IT IS fans everywhere, seeing as the opening hook “you can’t keep me sane when I’m out of sight, I still lose my way from time to time” is just begging to be screamed by hundreds packed into a sweaty dive bar. The same goes for “The Coast is Where Home Is”, but that could also have something to do with me itching to be a part of that crowd screaming “romance for past tense, rose tinted sunsets”.
The fact that “Still Remembering” is the last song on the album feels like a sense of clarity to me. There’s something about the last line of the entire album being “am I remembering, still remembering, or forgetting?” that is very calming. It almost makes me feel as if I had just finished a really good book and I have to close the cover and digest what I had just read. There are so many different emotions packed into eleven songs and I think that an acoustic guitar driven song was the most fitting way for AS IT IS to close the album out.
So, come one, come all to the Happy Co. production of “okay.” and witness every cuffed jeaned, leather jacketed, high top conversed event that this new AS IT IS era has to offer. Ain’t that just swell?