Review: All At Once -The Airborne Toxic Event

In August 2008, the fresh sound of California’s Airborne Toxic Event travelled through radio waves and the hit single “Sometime Around Midnight” was played in heavy rotation on Vh1. The self-titled EP was the band’s first and brought a fresh sound to a heavy hip-hop and electro-pop industry. Each song sounded good, from the summer-ready recollection of singer Mikel Jollet’s first love in “Gasoline” to the sweeping violin in “Sometime Around Midnight.” The band’s edge was Jollet’s relatable lyrics coupled with his melodic yet raw vocals. Everything just worked and, although never fully breaking into the mainstream, the EP showed the band’s potential for something greater. Their newest release, All At Once, is packed with Jollet’s honest lyrics, but fell short with its less-than-upbeat sound.

The record’s lead-off single “Changing” is the band’s only effort to try and break into mainstream radio. The hook is infectious, with Jollet reminding his lady-love that he is “a gentleman” while a simple drum beat holds the song together. Lyrically, “Changing” is Jollet’s only attempt at something happier, with every other song depicting images of broken hearts, lost childhoods, and just all around sadness. Though his lyrics are beautiful and poetic, the listening almost becomes tedious and heavy rather than an all around enjoyable experience.

The track “Welcome to Your Wedding Day” sounds like the worst of what Muse and The Strokes have offered in the past 5 years. On this track, it’s almost as if the band took all the clichés of a harder, indie song and stuffed them into three minutes and forty-four seconds.

Though the album has its obvious mishaps, there are reminders of why this band should matter. A personal favorite is “Half of Something Else” which sonically could be the sibling of “Sometime Around Midnight.” The song is hypnotic, with Jollet and keyboardist/violinist Anna Bulbrook’s voices harmonizing perfectly. The song really hits around the three minute mark, where Jollet shatters all hope of his romance being able to continue with his scream flying above the hard drum-kick and shifty guitar work. “All I Ever Wanted” is the only track featuring Bulbrook’s violin, but relies too much on recognizable “indie” chords and progressions.

All At Once is worth having in any record collection. I wouldn’t regard it as a sophomore slump; it shows growth and a band who has established its own identity. It’s an album that should be celebrated for its lyrical value rather than the way it sounds. Once each member figures out how to marry each element, everything will fall into place. **7.5/10