Everything Everything – Raw Data Feel

Behind the composition of some remarkable art-rock nuggets (To the Blade, Arch Enemy, In Birdsong, … to name only the most recent), Everything Everything is one of the most “nerdy” bands of the current cohort of British rock bands (and all its derivatives). However, their albums are nonetheless magnificent examples of mixing genres, between techno, rock, pop and analog atmosphere, with ever more inventiveness.

Frequently having as song theme the consequences of our hyper-connected society on the world we live in, singer Jonathan Higgs’ techno-anxiety has taken a new turn for this sixth album. Raw Data Feel.

Between humanity and artificial intelligence

This time, it is the AI ​​developed by Mark Hanslip (doctoral student at the University of York) who created part of the lyrics on this new album, from “model” texts. Thus, the computer used Confucius, Beowulf or LinkedIn’s Terms of Use to extract “weird and incomprehensible” lines.

Beyond the very often disjointed and abstract lyrics, it is the sense of the melody here that holds the attention. Raw Data Feel is perhaps one of their best albums in this sense, with an energy and spontaneity that radiates from every track. Thus, with Teletype at pizza boythe first 4 songs and 4 singles, this beginning of listening is a most human invitation to join the party (Yes, yes, like this friend who always asks you to go out, even on Monday evenings).

The sequel changes mood, to land and become much more contemplative, with titles like jennifer Where Leviathan. Here again, Everything Everything is very comfortable. Between the airy voice of Higgs, the atmospheric keyboards and the dreamy guitar, we easily let ourselves be taken on a daydream.

The titles follow one another (14 all the same!) for a little less than an hour and alternate with great skill between “dystopian rave” and “sweet nostalgia”. Without losing the thread, the melodic and compositional qualities are present in these two extremes, and we have no trouble immersing ourselves in each sound universe.

Where some of their albums were difficult to access, they managed the feat of making Raw Data Feel immediate listening, without oversimplifying it and without falling through with certain rock clichés.

Ironically, it is perhaps the encounter with artificial intelligence that allowed the human and melodic genius of Everything Everything to sublimate on Raw Data Feel.

Tracklist Raw Data Feel – Everything Everything