Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, better known as Andrew W.K., is a musician who has been doing his thing since 1996. He didn’t start gathering attention, however, until the 2001 classic I Get Wet dropped. It’s thirty-five minutes of pure energy focused on the idea of partying hard, if it wasn’t obvious from tracks like “Party Hard” and “I Love NYC.” While it was not so accepted at the time of its release, it seems that over time, people have come to see the record for what it was: a goofy, fun time. Andrew W.K. was not breaking ground; he was making music to have a fun time to, and there is nothing wrong with that. His self-awareness is what made I Get Wet. Unfortunately, his material following that record really doesn’t stick out too much. Don’t even get me started on his piano-rock LP 55 Cadillac, or even worse, Gundam Rock. Those were released back in 2009, and up until this point, there was absolutely no word on what Andrew W.K. was doing musically. Sure, he was working on some projects outside of music, like being the host of Cartoon Network’s “Destroy Build Destroy,” and he toured quite often, but we did not know anything about new music. That is, until January 2018, when he announced his first studio LP in nine years, You’re Not Alone, released alongside the single “Music is Worth Living For.” Less than two months later, we now have the LP for our listening pleasure.
The LP starts off with “The Power of Partying,” just to remind us that the King of Partying is back in the music game: a minute and half of dramatic tension, it begins with a voiceover repeating the word “party,” followed by a drum roll and some synth leading into “Music is Worth Living For.” This track is pays an ode to the stadium rock bands of the ’70s and ’80s with modern Andrew W.K. flavor. Lyrically, the song takes us on our first trip through Andrew’s consciousness, exploring self-doubt and the thoughts we’ve all had of being done for. Then the pre-chorus comes in, assuring us that we’re wrong and have kept moving forward, and he then goes to pay homage to one of the forces that helped him the most through his trying times: music. This track is absolutely stellar, and gives us our first taste of the optimism running rampant through this LP. “Ever Again” continues in a stadium-rock style similar to the previous track, and even builds on its themes with a greater focus on changing as a person for the better. Andrew admits to being afraid of the future, but his “trip to the dark side” has been educational, and he’s not going to lose his way, as he repeats “ever again” to conclude this song. The production may be cleaner this time around, but “I Don’t Know Anything” is very much the Andrew W.K. we know and love. Its lyrics are not as certain as they are on the preceding tracks, but Andrew reassures us that it’s okay to not know what the future holds. He’s content, because he knows that whatever is to come will, at the very least, make for an exciting journey. This brings us to the first interlude on the LP, “The Feeling of Being Alive.” Andrew is speaking directly to the listener during these interludes, offering food for thought: it’s okay to feel like that something is “very, very wrong” with life, as it’s what reminds us of our humanity. This encouraging message is unfortunately followed by some of the weakest moments on the LP. Although they pursue the same sense of optimism, they aren’t musically very interesting. “Party Mindset” takes a low energy approach, which I applaud Andrew for trying out, but it sounds lazy. I feel like the song is meant to show how Andrew deals with his issues by keeping his “party mindset.” “The Party Never Dies” is the sort of title you just expect to see on an Andrew W.K. project, and the song tells a story of a child overcoming struggle. While it’s a nice moment, it’s too short to have a lasting effect, especially due to its repetitive formula. Thankfully, “Give Up on You” is easily has one of the strongest messages on the tracklist, reminding the listener with a choir-backed return to the stadium-rock of the first two tracks, that they will not be given up on. Next is “Keep On Going,” an ’80s-style ballad that takes a look into the past whether good or bad, reminding us that we have always moved on no matter what. On “In Your Darkest Moments,” another interlude, Andrew asks us to remember that life has plenty to offer even in its gloomiest, doomiest moments with one of the most inspirational quotes I have ever heard: “Deep down, we don’t want an easy life. We want an amazing life!” A life that’s nothing but easy would be boring; we come out of our dark times even stronger, and ready to pursue something worthwhile. “The Devil’s On Your Side” calls back to the interlude, suggesting that our demons are always going to be with us. That’s what makes working with them important. As Andrew explains in the interlude, your demons can be a positive force in your life if they force you to better yourself. The song itself is constructed really nicely, with a bit of Broadway in it at the beginning and a climactic, arena-filling conclusion. Following that is “Break the Curse,” the longest and most sobering track on the LP. The first half is as gloomy as You’re Not Alone gets, with Andrew addressing emotional toxicity. The instrumental is slow and somber, but it gradually brightens up as Andrew reminding that the listener can break their curse, whatever it may be. The transition is done quite fluently, and it’s good to see Andrew really acknowledge the bad on a album that’s almost entirely focused on the good, just to make sure the listener knows that things aren’t perfect--they’re only as good as we make them. “Total Freedom,” is one of the most triumphant moments of You’re Not Alone. It’s like emerging from a cave and seeing the sun for the first time; it shines brighter than any of the previous tracks with its glowing guitar, synth, and percussion. The song is a reminder that you decide your destiny, and that whatever life throws at you, you are able to handle it and live however you decide to live. After a track like that, “Beyond Oblivion” only serves as a long instrumental coda. It doesn’t differentiate itself from the previous tracks, apart from taking it a little slower, and doesn’t work very well on its own, but it serves its purpose on a full-album listen. The final interlude, “Confusion and Clarity,” brings Andrew’s philosophy to a conclusion. No matter what we go through, we must remember what gives us the energy to get us through life, and we must share our positivity with all the world to make it a better place. On that note, we are led to the grand finale of the LP: the title-track. In its most basic form, the track is a summary to the journey of You’re Not Alone, repeating that message of positivity: we are never alone. Someone is looking out for us. It’s okay to be afraid. We are all always heading into “the great unknown.” Andrew offers his hand to let you know that we are all in this together, and we will find out what’s out there together. The LP ends ambiguously after Andrew repeats himself, which I think is the best way it could have ended. You’re Not Alone ends with us taking that step in the mystery of the future, confident that there is something beautiful waiting for us. Is You’re Not Alone some mind-blowing, game-changing LP in the purest musical sense? No, but that’s its charm. It’s full of ambition, energy, and fun, promoting a grand message that we all desperately need right now, and it over fifty-minute runtime doesn’t feel bloated or unnecessary in the least. Maybe he’s a little too optimistic about the future, but in a world like ours, I believe we need a equal, opposite force of good to combat it. VERDICT: 9 years and 52 minutes later, Andrew W.K.’s optimism remains undiminished, and You’re Not Alone shines brighter than the sun. - Alex Brown
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