As It Is - Never Happy, Ever After (Album Review)

I've known about As It Is for a while. I remember their debut EP landing in my inbox for review and really enjoying it. It was a really solid EP and had flashes of a really great up and coming pop/punk group. It was the kind of EP that had me putting the band on my list of bands I think had potential to do some really cool things. Sometimes bands live up to the hype you have for them and sometimes it just doesn't pan out. So when I started listening to As It Is' new album, Never Happy, Ever After, I was really hoping this band would live up to or exceed my expectations.

There are moments when I listen to this album and I'm reminded of some times in my life when I first listened to some of my favorite pop/punk albums. James Paul Wisner produced this album and in my opinion was the perfect choice for it. I've been a big fan of his production, especially on the Further Seems Forever albums. He really helps the band capture a vibe on the album and it just comes out really strong. Where the band's debut EP had a slightly rawer production style this album goes for a much cleaner and crisper sound and it just elevates the band, the sound, and the songs to a lot better level. The guitars and vocal work sounds great. They just capture a sound that really drives this album.

I think "My Oceans Were Lakes" might easily be one of the better pop/punk songs I've heard in a long while. The strings accenting the acoustic parts in the song sound great. The vocals and back-up vocals are fantastic. Towards the end the song it builds into a big anthem swell of guitars, melodic vocals, and hard hammering drums. It's a big standout song on the album. "Concrete" is a nice single choice. The lyrics are really cool and I think it's an infectious song that got stuck in my head easily after a couple listens. The album kicks off with "Speak Soft" and it is a hard hitting opener that gets the album started with a bang. There are a couple gang vocal parts that should really get fans chanting along live. I think the song is poised to be a fan favorite. The guitar work on "Cheap Shots & Setbacks" really reminds me of classic The Starting Line in a cool way. It's one of my favorite songs on the album. The vocal work on "Drowning In Deep Doubt" is really cool. It's maybe some of my favorite vocal work on the album. I really like how the lyrics are delivered with such a nice emotional weight.

Honestly this album is pop/punk gold in the purest form. I think this has potential to be one of the biggest pop/punk albums of the summer. The band has captured the songs in just the right way on this album and about everything hits like it should. It's catchy, the lyrics have heart, and the music is really well done. It bleeds that great sunshine upbeat feeling. The band may not be reinventing the wheel on the album, but they seem to be doing a better job than most of their peers with the sound. I can't recommend this album enough. I feel like this is going to be one of my go to summer albums. It's pretty darn great.