Album Review: Everyone All At Once by The Rest
For as long as I’ve known them (which is not that long, in the grand scheme of things), The Rest have been a good band. Their first album, Atlantis, Oh Our Saviour was most exciting not because of its quality, but because of its potential. The album was flawed, to be sure, but every time I listened to it I couldn’t help but wonder what The Rest were going to do next. It seemed clear to me that they were going places.
Fast forward to the present, and THIS is what we’ve been waiting for. Everyone All At Once is, for lack of a better word, a masterpiece. It opens with “Coughing Blood/Fresh Mountain Air”, which sucks the listener right in and doesn’t let go. When some people think of sexy vampires, they think of that shitty Twilight movie. I think of this song.
Up next is “Modern Time Travel (Necessities)”. At this point it’s clear that not only has the band matured as a group, but Adam Bentley is really doing some of his best singing. This is the point where I’d usually start talking about how I want to have sex with his voice, but I’ve actually met him so that’s possibly a creepy thing to say… Fuck it. I want to have sex with his voice. He makes “la la”s sound much more moving than they ought to. It’s hot.
Everyone All At Once just continues to rock all over the place. The only concerning moment on the album, in fact, comes in “Blossom Babies Part Two”, which is a beautiful song that sounds just a little bit too much like the Arcade Fire. Only better, because the Arcade Fire only has two good songs. The Rest, however, has ten good songs on this album alone (which has ten songs on it total, so nice job). It’s impossible, actually, to pick a stand-out tune for you. I’m most partial to “Walk on Water (Auspicious Beginnings)” and “Phonetically, Phonetically” (featuring the line, “I could have been great/I could have been the gravy on Thanksgiving day”), but that’s really just a matter of preference. There are no weak songs on this album. That’s right, there is no filler. How often does that happen?
So here it is, a sophomore release that has exceeded even my wildest expectations. I knew it was going to be good, but I don’t think anyone could have known it was going to be this good. 2009 hasn’t even started yet and I already know what my favourite album is… OK, it’s probably going to be Merriweather Post Pavilion, but Everyone All At Once will be a close second. Congratulations, The Rest. You’ve truly outdone yourself.
And Adam, I want to have sex with your voice.
Check out The Rest’s Myspace page to listen to some tunes off the album and purchase their single, Apples & Allergies, which contains “Walk on Water (Auspicious Beginnings)” and will tide you over until Everyone All Once is ready for your consumption. I’ll let you know when it’s done cooking. You pretty much have to buy it.
Posted by Jocelyn
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December 15th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
songs they put on their myspace page are marvellous!!!!
(now I need to get the lyrics)
December 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I know! This album is so good, Sergio. I am going to review it again for the 405, I think. A little more professional that time. Not so much with the voice sex (although I’m still totally into that).
Even after I was done reviewing to it, I listened to it another three times. And I have half the songs stuck in my head. I could go on… but I’ll save it for the 405.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
(in this very moment I’m LEGALLY downloading their first album from the official site! I hope I’ll find the lyrics somewhere..)
December 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
want me to ask them?
i should probably interview them again, hey? (this is just an excuse to hit on all of them, really. especially anna jarvis. girls plays a bad-ass cello.)
December 16th, 2008 at 7:42 am
i’ve been listening through the songs on their myspace and i kind of like it! not what i normally listen to, i guess, so i’m not over-whelmed but it’s good! (give me time.) you have to holler when the new album is released, ok?
i dig your review! especially the parts about voice sex. it’s totally professional
December 16th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
yeah i’m pretty much going to win a pulitzer any minute now.
December 16th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
damn right.
December 17th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
I dont know if it’s just me, but i’ve been trying to read this article and the pictures arent loading, and is that a video? or it might be an album cover picture. Either way, i cant see anything but text here, thought i’d let you know
December 18th, 2008 at 12:04 am
Thanks for letting me know, Sam. I reloaded the post so it should work fine now. I have no idea why that happened though.
No video though. The Rest SHOULD make a video. We should start a petition.