The self proclaimed King of Partying is back. After a lengthy absence, which consisted primarily of Japan-exclusive releases (the last of which was released in 2011) and legal disputes while touring as a motivational speaker, Andrew WK has returned from his trip to the dark side with 16 brand new slices of party metal to remind listeners, You’re Not Alone.
Setting the bar high with grandiose intro “The Power of Partying”, You’re Not Alone bursts into action with the uplifting “Music Is Worth Living For”, a stirring anthem about the power of music and the positive effect it can have on an individual. Full of big riffs, bigger choruses and surprising falsettos, “Music Is Worth Living For” sets the bar for the rest of the album and shows that, through all the cheesiness and cliché, Andrew WK has grown as a songwriter and as a person during his time in the wilderness. Following straight on from that comes the stadium-ready “Ever Again”, a track which shows another side to Andrew as someone who has been through the highs and lows of life and come out of it kicking.
Admittedly, from this point the album doesn’t quite maintain the same momentum. While “I Don’t Know Anything” sounds like it could have come from his breakout début album I Get Wet, following tracks don’t seem to have the same energy to them, verging off into other styles of rock music and even toying with near-ballad style songs, and “Keep On Going” has some near-Bowie style vocals. The momentum isn’t particularly helped by the use of spoken word interludes peppered throughout the album. It’s clear that Andrew WK and the gang want to spread a positive and uplifting message through their songs, and that there are some things he simply couldn’t put into music form, but the repeated pauses just seem to disrupt the flow.
Momentum aside, there are plenty of choice cuts throughout the album, with the strong opening tracks, through to “Keep On Going”, the synth-laden slow-burner “Break the Curse”, the epic instrumental track “Beyond Oblivion” and “Total Freedom” show the sort of musical range Andrew WK has, and prove that he’s lost none of his ability to write earworms down the years. You’re Not Alone also serves as a testament to the emotional development he has been through, showing more of a 3-dimensional character than the straight up “PARTY PARTY PARTY” of albums like I Get Wet. At 16 tracks, it may be a bit of a trek to listen to in one go, but being in the works for 7 years, it’s clear that a lot of time and effort has been put into each track to make it exactly how everyone involved wanted them to sound.
The main questions you need to ask going to You’re Not Alone are as follows: “Is it cheesy”, “Is it cliché”, and “Is it catchy?” The first two are an unquestionable “yes”, but the important thing is that the album is indeed catchy as hell, and songs from it will be stuck in your head for weeks. Andrew WK is not afraid to use every motivational cliché in the book with all the bells and whistles, but his delivery is so genuine and sincere that it works anyway. It’s a welcome change in a rock and metal scene that’s full of anger, melancholy and insincerity.
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