You're Not Alone is the fifth studio album by American musician Andrew W.K., released on March 2, 2018 through Sony Music.[1] It was his first album since 2009's Gundam Rock, which marks the longest gap between his studio albums.
| You're Not Alone | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 2, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 52:32 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Andrew W.K. | |||
| Andrew W.K. chronology | ||||
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| Singles from You're Not Alone | ||||
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The art for the album was painted by fantasy artists Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo.[2] Juxtapoz premiered the collaboration and unveiled the cover via a documentary short video in November 2017.[3]
Music and lyrics
editYou're Not Alone is characterized by dramatic rock songs that feature distorted guitars, pianos, synthesizers, and multi-tracked vocals. Though much of the music is fast and energetic, the album also contains slower-paced songs and ballads.[1]
In a press release, Andrew W.K. said of the album: "I'm going for the sound of pure, unadulterated power; every emotion, every thought, every experience, every sensation, every fear, every joy, every clarity, every confusion, every up, every down... all extruded and concentrated into one thick syrup of super life-force feeling, and then psychically amplified by the celebratory spirit of glorious partying."[4]
The album also contains three spoken-word tracks, in which Andrew W.K. discusses his personal philosophies toward self-confidence, seeing the good side to the bad moments in life, and thinking positively. Lyrically, the songs on the album generally adhere to these same themes.[5]
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10[6] |
| Metacritic | 77/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The A.V. Club | A[8] |
| Exclaim! | 6/10[9] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5[10] |
| NME | [11] |
| Pitchfork | 6.6/10[12] |
| Q | [13] |
| Record Collector | [14] |
| Uncut | 7/10[15] |
Upon its release, You're Not Alone received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who appreciated its excitement, upbeat songwriting, and lyrics promoting self-confidence.[7] The A.V. Club described the album as "a pack of his best songs", commenting, "As always, Andrew W.K. builds anthems brick by brick, reinforcing huge choruses with multi-tracked vocals and earworm piano lines, all the better to make you feel like a participant as much as a listener."[8] Nick Reilly of NME wrote, "In reality, he might just be the all essential boost of positivity and endurance that we didn't know we needed. The lure of the party, it seems, is stronger than ever."[11] NPR's Jason Heller said that "the sprawling, 16-song album is a cornucopia of spirit-lifting, even occasionally reflective party jams every inch as valiant as its cover."[5]
Some critics wrote that the album contains too much unnecessary material, with Luke Pearson writing for Exclaim! that the album suffers from "plodding, overlong tracks".[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Power of Partying" | 1:36 |
| 2. | "Music Is Worth Living For" | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Ever Again" | 3:18 |
| 4. | "I Don’t Know Anything" | 2:54 |
| 5. | "The Feeling of Being Alive" (spoken word) | 0:47 |
| 6. | "Party Mindset" | 4:11 |
| 7. | "The Party Never Dies" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Give Up on You" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Keep on Going" | 4:06 |
| 10. | "In Your Darkest Moments" (spoken word) | 1:05 |
| 11. | "The Devil's on Your Side" | 5:22 |
| 12. | "Break the Curse" | 6:22 |
| 13. | "Total Freedom" | 3:56 |
| 14. | "Beyond Oblivion" | 4:06 |
| 15. | "Confusion and Clarity" (spoken word) | 1:01 |
| 16. | "You're Not Alone" | 3:04 |
| Total length: | 52:32 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 17. | "The Creation of Sound" | 3:55 |
| Total length: | 56:39 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] | 74 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 197 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[19] | 9 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[20] | 36 |
References
edit- ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (November 26, 2017). "Andrew W.K. Details New Album You're Not Alone". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Monger, Timothy. "You're Not Alone – Andrew W.K." AllMusic. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ AndrewWK, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell on painting Andrew W.K.'s album cover, "You're Not Alone", retrieved 2018-12-05
- ^ Minsker, Evan (September 18, 2017). "Andrew W.K. Announces First New Album in 8 Years". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Heller, Jason (February 26, 2018). "Review: Andrew W.K., 'You're Not Alone'". NPR. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "You're Not Alone by Andrew W.K. reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ a b "You're Not Alone by Andrew W.K. Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ a b Modell, Josh (March 1, 2018). "Andrew W.K. returns to the party, scarred but smarter". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ a b Pearson, Luke (March 5, 2018). "Andrew W.K.: You're Not Alone". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ "Andrew W.K.: You're Not Alone". Kerrang!: 51. February 24, 2018.
- ^ a b Reilly, Nick (March 5, 2018). "Andrew W.K. – 'You're Not Alone' Review". NME. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ Kandell, Steve (March 8, 2018). "Andrew W.K.: You're Not Alone". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
- ^ Everley, Dave (April 2018). "Andrew W.K.: You're Not Alone". Q (383): 116.
- ^ Moores, JR (March 2018). "Andrew W.K. – You're Not Alone". Record Collector (477). Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ Wirth, Jim (April 2018). "Andrew W.K.: You're Not Alone". Uncut (251): 37.
- ^ "You're Not Alone". Hostess Entertainment Unlimited (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
- ^ "Andrew WK Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "Andrew WK Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
- ^ "Andrew WK Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 25, 2018.