Better late than never? A question many of you may be asking yourselves when reading this. All Hands On Deck's debut EP, It's All We Know, was originally slated for a late-July release, but after some complications, received a new release date, that being tomorrow. If you enjoyed the band's previous singles, then you'll wanna get your hands on the EP.
With a much poppier flavour of Easycore, All Hands On Deck have always delivered a very infectious sound, filled with clean vocals and catchy, Hardcore-influenced riffs; Aim For The Heart's intro is a great example of what I'm referring to. It's All We Know is a cut above their 2010 demo, offering a much more defined sound with improved production. The EP includes re-recorded versions of the songs from the aforementioned demo, along with 4 all-new singles. One of the great things about All Hands On Deck, is their ability to find a middle-ground between traditional Pop Punk and most Easycore bands - these guys don't over-do it on the breakdowns and are not excessively heavy, either; their sound in general is a great compromise. For instance, the outro breakdown in the title track reaches a degree you might find in more intense bands, though the vocals do a great job at balancing things out.
On the lyrical side of things, the EP tends to be based on a what you see is what you get approach. By this, I mean that there's little room for confusion when listening to the songs, often with a single interpretation - though this is not something abnormal for the genre. The Nightlife is one that particularly stood out for me in this department. This one tells the story of a girl who (naïvely) lives for the nightlife, time and time again, facing the repercussions at every turn. One For The Record Books also caught my attention, particularly for the line three words never got me like you do, goodbye for now, I'll see you soon.
So in short, the answer to the question of whether this was worth the wait, I'd have to say yes. It's All We Know is definitely not just another Easycore record, and one best judged after a few good listens.
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