AllDayNight – Open The Sky
AllDayNight – Open The Sky – EP Review
The title-track, “Open The Sky” begins the experience of listening to AllDayNight. With bright harmonies, sweet-singing and gentle melodies…I looked to see what I could find out on this band, but things are still so fresh and so new for AllDayNight that there isn’t much out there yet that could help me fill in the blanks of this review today. From what I can gather…AllDayNight is built of two musical hearts & minds as one-shared vision…a duo of Frederic and Adriana seem to be responsible for what we’re hearing today. There’s a hint of an accent to Adriana’s vocals sung in English…and with his name being Frederic & all…I kinda have to assume maybe they’re from around the globe towards France perhaps? Hard to say for sure…but that’s part of the excitement of a new project, band or artist…you learn more as their career & art continues on…
I think at the outset of the Open The Sky EP, we might encounter the toughest or perhaps least-accessible song of the bunch…which made it a little surprising to find out it was the title-tune, “Open The Sky.” Not a bad song by any stretch…but after listening to the full EP several times…it almost did seem like an odd choice to put that far out front as a first impression when many of these sounds & combinations further into the album are a lot easier to take in, accept and absorb. I dig the slow, subtle-music…and I dig the idea of the storyline that Adriana’s put together through the lyrics…and overall I still dig the writing and ambition of this track; I think Adriana comes out pretty smooth for the most part…maybe a little pitchy in a few-spots but for the most part, it’s a good opening to the EP in the sense that it leaves room for AllDayNight to expand as the record progresses but it also didn’t feel like they immediately put their best foot forward here. I just think in terms of inviting someone into a record…they took a slight chance in using “Open The Sky” to do it – there are certainly songs with hooks that will pull in the people’s attention more easily just around the corner on the record. But as people remind me all the time…our world is a fickle one with a minute attention-span…so anytime our ears question a sound on those first experiences, you do somewhat risk the listener being there until the end with you from that point.
I do firmly believe that the degree of difference required to have Adriana’s voice go from good to great would be very minimal. You can hear how ‘on the right path’ she is with her ideas, performance and writing in “A World In Harmony.” Clearly AllDayNight is a band with nothing but the greatest intentions – and lyrically you can certainly take-away from this song that were this band ever to be control of the world, it’d be one you’d want to live in. “A World In Harmony” has wonderful, gentle, delicate music that uses mild-percussion, synth and piano to make its tenderized-sound; this one is a little closer to the mark than the opening tune in my opinion. Adriana sounds the most fantastic just towards the end bursting brightly with confidence & solid-tone just before the very last line in the song…not even kidding – it was that one line right there that made me realize how much more she was still capable of and how much power & confidence she was masking – THAT is the Adriana sound that I wanted to hear all along!
“On My Way” began to change things in my opinion even further. I love the bright, frozen-feel to this song…it sounds crisp, beautiful & clear. It remains instrumental…a short break for Adriana in the vocal-department as the music itself brighten to a much cheerier-place but this time with the absence of their uplifting & inspiring messages in the lyrics. During “On My Way” the duo relies on the fact the music says it all…and it does. Gorgeous composition and flawlessly executed.
But don’t call it a comeback – she’s been here for years. Sorry…just had to throw a Hip-Hop reference in there for a second cause it’s so far from the genre that I’m listening to right now with AllDayNight’s music. Seriously though – Adriana makes the most of that short instrumental break to come back with one of her best performances on “No One But You.” A melancholy and forlorn melody…nostalgic & longing lyrics and a truly emotional & sincere performance up-front on the vocals makes “No One But You” a truly captivating mood & atmosphere that really brings their vision to vibrant life.
“So Fly Away” is nearly 100% instrumental as well, except for a few vocal-samples thrown into the mix…but for the most part this song is driven through the incredible percussion, exotic guitar sounds and immaculate style of the strings. This would definitely be in the running for my favourite experience on the Open The Sky EP – I love the subtle-groove that laces the music of “So Fly Away” and I absolutely love how creative it had to be musically to pull it all off as well as it is. A truly strong composition that holds you attention right in place – “So Fly Away” has that inviting nature and real innovation that captures my mind & imagination…fantastic atmosphere to this song.
If it wasn’t for the brilliance of “Highlands” the choice for what I liked best here on the AllDayNight record might have been an easier one! They really find a way to end this EP on some of its most wonderful notes between “So Fly Away” and the end-song “Highlands.” Proving that they’re capable of a great many things…a song like this would easily make the perfect background to a soundtrack for a film…”Highlands” has amazing emotion stockpiled into it. Love the guitars and violin once again…but really it is the overall atmosphere that AllDayNight creates in the combinations of sounds and music they make that really bring it all together and truly take you to places in your mind far away from where you’re sitting there listening physically. That’s a wonderful & extraordinary gift in writing – and these two have that completely.
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