Everything Everything instantly set themselves apart from the indie quartet archetype by cultivating a distinct sound, aided by Jonathan Higgs’ falsetto and instrumental that flows with glitchy synths. Man Alive and Arc, released in 2010 and 2013 respectively, displayed the development of their notable techno-fuelled anthems, carrying cryptic themes and sprinting basslines.

‘To The Blade’ opens this album with the thoughtful line, “So you think there’s no meaning in anything that we do?” followed by an abrupt descent into a flood of static drums and a rolling bass. There is a sporadic nature to the guitar sounds as they enter different phases throughout the song; this suggests a personal edge to the album by not being as easily susceptible, setting a lingering philosophical tone to the following tracks.

The first single released for Get To Heaven, ‘Distant Past’, explores melancholy and euphoria simultaneously through a presentation of rich bass accompanied by fast paced vocals, churning out lyrics speckled with grim themes. ‘Distant Past’ serves as an amalgamation of old and new sounds due to the house inspired influences that are woven between the usual rapidity of beats and keys.

‘Get To Heaven’ tells the assertive and buoyant tale of an old man’s death. Higgs murmurs frankly, “Out in the cold, there’s an old man laying down in the flames tonight,” followed by a funky choir-like chorus flanked by African and jazz influences. The juxtaposition of the twanging rhythm guitar and theme of the afterlife helps to cultivate a certain depth in contrasting phases with overlapping vocals – a choral jamming session almost.

In a cloud of repetitive ’60s pop influences, ‘Regret’, the second single, is frank and introspective. The constant questioning, such as ‘could you imagine it in a different way?’, poses opportunities for the listener to contemplate. Amidst the arcane setting of the album, ‘Regret’ is quite inclusive and candid.

‘Spring/Sun/Winter/Dread’ is bold, pounding and quirky with allusions to their former sound. As the most catchy track on the album, it emits an anthemic, dreamy and celestial that is then curbed by the pulsating repetition of “‘Cause you did to her and you did it to him, and you did it before and you’ll do it again”. It becomes clear at this point of the album that Everything Everything are aligning contrasting moods to create elusive oxymorons.

The static use of synths provides a thick frame to ‘The Wheel (Is Turning Now)’, the gritty, techno feel is softened slightly by the pensive lyrics that give a sense of foreboding. This soon drops into an unstable sea of techno influences that rises up and down in intensity.

‘Fortune 500’ implies a wholly joint effort. The sense of commune creates an effect of Everything Everything corralling their inner feelings. This helps the track to have a complex edge that is enhanced by the eerie host of backing vocals.

‘Blast Doors’ has the mystical urgency of Arabian music fused with hip hop elements and the customary falsetto. The quick diversions covey feelings of uncertainty adding to the running introspectivity in the album. Higgs borderline raps “If you were already dead I wouldn’t have to school you” over a jittery riff, plunging into light and sparky choruses.

With vibes of loneliness masked by a light riff and soaring vocals, ‘Zero Pharaoh’ is trance-like with twisting bars and a plunging bass. This mixture results in a leveled plain of synth and perky keys.

‘No Reptiles’ is heavily experimental due to the contrasting vocals constantly escalating pace of synth usage. Despite its hymn-like structure, it is given a rough edge by the rather confusing and morbid lyrics, “I’m going to kill a stranger, so don’t you be a stranger. Oh baby it’s alright to feel like a fat child in a push chair, old enough to run”. The use of contrasting lyrics makes the track hostile and deeply personal.

‘Warm Healer’, a melodic love song, skipped across my headphones displaying possibly the only cohesion among the tracks. It still experiences the same descent into deeply brooding contemplation in the form of a minimalistic chorus, but teases the listener almost by concluding the album with a steady bass line.

Everything Everything have crafted an introspective album that is somewhat arcane, but presents the listener with the idea that music is not made to please but as a pure form of expression; they have made their eclectic approach clear by weaving the established threads of the sounds displayed in their last two albums through the waif ones of current pop music of the house influence to form a complimentary body of music.

Get To Heaven is released on 22nd June via Sony Music UK Limited.

Oseta Agboaye