As Everything Unfolds – Within Each Lies The Other
Release Date: 26th March 2021
Label: Long Branch Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Post-Hardcore.
FFO: Icon for Hire, Dream State, New Years Day, Red Handed Denial, Sleeping With Sirens, Annisokay, Spiritbox.
Review By: Ryan Shearer
As Everything Unfolds is a name I feel like I have been hearing forever. After their wildly successful EP release (Closure in 2018) they have shown no signs of quitting while they are ahead. Quickly gaining the attention of Long Branch Records, they will be making waves in the post-hardcore scene with 2021’s Within Each Lies The Other. As the album plays and everything unfolds (I’m so sorry), you realise there is as much to love about Within Each Lies The Other as there is you could live without.
The album opens with On The Inside, starting with the main hook repeating throughout. There is a real sense of urgency and explosive energy scattered throughout. The guitars, drums & keys really show off some cohesive melody – it’s a strong start. Take Me There was the second single of this album cycle, and it was a great choice. It’s got a solid groove throughout driven by very aggressive drumming and an intense, unsettling energy. The melody is sombre and almost unpleasant in the best sense of the word; it’s got a real gravitas to it.
Stranger in the Mirror includes a mellow, subdued verse with only a smooth synth accompanying vocals and then the brooding riff leading the chorus and continues with the dark mood throughout. Stay is bouncy and groovy, leaning more towards the heavier Paramore sound than the more aggressive tracks preceding it. It is distinctly different, but impressively remains cohesive with the album as a whole.
Hiding From Myself, the lead single, is absolutely one of the strongest tracks on the album and a great choice for the first taste of Within Each Lies The Other. Absolutely brimming with energy, the track is a prime example of a crowd-pleaser. Wither closes the album in a maturely crafted and heavy way. Vocalist Charlie Wolfe really showcases her clean vocal diversity here; you can feel her wrestling and fighting to really push her vocal limits to give an emotionally satisfying performance that lands adeptly.
A handful of the songs didn’t immediately grip in the way you’d expect from more experienced bands, but after more listens the melodies do slowly infect. The catchiness of Take Me There’s chorus, the emotional weight of I’m Not the Only One – they all take a few plays to fully appreciate and recognise.
The production is good without particularly excelling in any area – each element of the band does what it needs to with the occasional electronic flourish to add some interest to the compositions. Rhythmically, there are some very interesting sections (the Take Me There chorus again is a great example of an incredibly tense pulse driving the song forward). There are moments, like the intro the Stranger in the Mirror, where the production does feel a bit like a local band’s first EP, but for a debut it’s not too surprising.
Within Each Lies The Other has some great, memorable moments and some genuinely moving and evocative tracks from As Everything Unfolds, but it’s clear some are stronger than others. There aren’t any stand-out bad songs, but you’ll likely find your favourites and skip the rest without feeling like you’re missing out.
(3.5 / 5)
