Written by Maria Arroyo
International trio, All We Are, shares their third album, Providence, out now. For anyone familiar with the international trio, you’re in for quite a surprise. Where their 2017 release, Sunny Hills, was more punk-driven with a huge political motivation, Providence is an album for the summer!
Bringing All We Are to life are members Luis Santos (guitar) from Brazil, Guro Gikling (bass) from Norway, and Richard O’Flynn (drums) from Ireland. They describe Providence as an album that is “celebrating the universal virtues of love, loss, sex, friendship and dance,” which they say is done with a “cascade of color and hooks, funky bass lines and electric rhythms.” Big thanks to producer, Dave McCracken, who helped channel their musical ideas into a cohesive plan to bring this album to life!
Their opening track, which is the title of the release, opens up their uptempo and unique sound. “Providence” is a great choice to open with, though I don’t usually see the opening track as the title of the release, but I guess that’s just nitty-gritty stuff.
While their music isn’t something I would typically listen to, I can appreciate the unique taste they have. “Heart of Mine” is an extremely catchy song that I really enjoyed listening to. It was this track that really turned me into a lover of their sound. This same catchy and feel-good energy they share is sprinkled throughout the album, which really made the entire album shine and stand out.
Their next song “Not Your Man” introduces a bit of a funk with a hint of Latin vibes, almost like the same feel of Ricky Ricardo’s music. This song is fun and sensual, with such a memorable melody, with an instrumentation that is modern and appealing to match.
All We Are definitely showed their talent for lyric writing in this song because I really connected to the lyrics, and I think it’s a track off their record that a lot of people will be able to relate to as well. That same funk and free energy also flows into their next song “L Is For Lose.”
Creating a more lyrical and melodic forward sound is their next song, “When You Cry.” I think that emotional tension that is hidden in the back of the other songs, is brought front and center for this track. While the high energy music is super entertaining to listen to, I always appreciate the more vulnerable aspect of an album, and I think they translated that very well. They were able to build immense intensity, and the way that all their voices come together, is really a huge highlight of the album.
“How You Get Me” returns back to their laid-back and good energetic feels, and definitely could be a great song for the summer. It’s something I would throw on when I needed to relax and chill out, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The band trickles into this more psychedelic sound with their next track “Elegy.” It’s actually the perfect mix of their chill funk sound, but with a little more of a retro sound, which is where that psychedelic feeling comes into play.
Closing out Providence is their final song “Deliver It.” They created a closer that took on this big band persona, but still kept it low-key and free-flowing. The use of a mixed horn section added another element of surprise that still manages to keep everything pretty low and enjoyable. The layers making up the song are woven into one another so well, that it makes for the perfect closer. All We Are exceeds my expectations, and is definitely a new favorite to add to my Spotify “Feelin’ Good” playlist!
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