And So I Watch You From Afar – Gangs
And So I Watch You From Afar’s Gangs starts with a burst of loud and confident energy that flows throughout the album, and if there’s one word to describe the feeling of this album, it’s “triumph.” From the beginning track “BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION” you can tell that this album is going to be unlike anything you’ve ever heard. My best description was “Explosions In The Sky if they weren’t so angsty and emotional, and Battles if they were influenced more by metal.”
The first track sends you into a whimsical story of glory and happiness, and by the end of the track you are left with a definite smile on your face. Honestly, that’s how all of the tracks tend to make me feel. ASIWYFA has a knack for blending songs of different intensity together and making them fun to listen to. Even the substantial transition between tracks “Search:Party:Animal” and “7 Billion People All Alive At Once”—which goes from a very driving metal riff to a bouncing beat accompanied by light guitars and people singing along. The transition almost seems natural from the way that they play it off, which is a feat in itself.
But that’s just how Gangs plays, going from sweeping overviews to very direct riffs, but no matter how sharp and heavy the riffs may seem, they never truly give off a vibe of anger. The whole album exudes this certain theme of happiness and living every moment to the fullest, which is something you don’t hear a lot in music like this. You will not be disappointed in this album, and on a rainy day this album will always make you smile.
Rating: 8.5/10
RiYL: Explosions in the Sky, Battles, Where the Wild Things Are
Recommended Tracks: “BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION”, “Gang (starting never stopping)”, “Seven Billion People All Alive at Once”. (Honestly, I think it’s best to just sit and listen to the whole thing without picking out songs, because the album is very unified.)
