As It Is – The Great Depression

Released: August 10th, 2018

As It Is are:

Patty Walters | vocals

Ben Langford-Biss | guitar/vocals

Patrick Foley | drums

Ali Testo | bass

As It Is online:

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It has only been just over a year since the release of okay. but the boys in As It Is have come to us with another spectacular album, titled The Great Depression. When it was announced, there were no secrets behind the title of this album, nor what was on it as the band took to Instagram to post a statement to explain in their own words a little bit about the record itself and assuring fans that the topic was being approached with a great amount of sensitivity and respect, which to me showed a step in the right direction and that whatever these tracks held, it was going to be raw and real.

The first single to be released following the announcement was ‘The Wounded World’ which I was absolutely in love with as it was a catchy, hard hitting track that spoke volumes of truth lyrically. The familiar upbeat pop-punk days from these guys seem to be left behind, only keeping the unmistakable sound of Patty Walters’ vocals, to move to a more heavier and rockier style, in which you can hear the influences of other artists being perfectly collided together and twisted into what has become their own. As I listened to the album in full, I didn’t quite know how to feel, and I don’t add this as a negative, but a positive in every sense which may seem backwards — I know — but these tracks are so raw and packed full of emotion that I felt like I needed a moment to process it and that was the best feeling, because if I was so taken back by it all, I knew that someone out there would connect immediately with it without that time of needing to digest everything.

It is so hard to pick out specific songs that stood out since I feel like each one carries something special and they all stand out for different reasons, but there were some that I went back to play a couple of times more than others and those were ‘The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry)’, ‘The Truth I’ll Never Tell’ and ‘The Hurt, The Hope’. I felt that while these three were easy to connect with, they showcased the talent and versatility of As It Is as a whole, since these are all so different from each other. Whether it be a new addition of a guitar riff that hasn’t been tried before or more rough vocals than most tracks. The thing that stood out to me the most throughout every single minute of this record is that you never fail to feel the emotion of the words being sung out.

These songs tell a story about the struggle of mental health and the way you feel within society, like a burden and disconnected. As someone who struggles with mental health issues, I found this album quite easy to connect with. These songs are obviously very personal to the band, but the most beautiful part about this release is being able to know that you are not alone. Fans will be able to be connected to their favourite band on another level, knowing that the people they look up to go through the exact same battles mentally that we do and there is hope out there.

Every time this band have put out another release, I feel they’ve gone from strength to strength and this is no exception. I highly recommend this album as it speaks truth and will surely hold a memorable place within the pop-punk world for quite some time. It is reminiscent of those alternative bands which we used to listen to in high school while still being current and unique. Every time I look for words to describe my thoughts on it, I come up short because while I know how it makes me feel, I genuinely believe that this is the bands best record yet and it isn’t one that can easily be described. It is a greatness that will need to be experienced for yourselves and that is saying something since in daily life, and as a writer, I am very rarely left speechless.

In a world where depression and anxiety are being talked about much more openly and being included media, I believe this is such a positive release. While there are tracks that are quite heavy, there are also songs on the flip side that provide hope and positivity. So without a doubt, I rate this album 10/10.

If you or anyone you know needs help with their own mental well-being call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or search for your local Crisis Support Hotline via Google.

As It Is – The Great Depression tracklisting

Stage I: Denial

1. The Great Depression

2. The Wounded World

3. The Fire, The Dark

Stage II: Anger

4. The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry)

5. The Handwritten Letter

6. The Question, The Answer

Stage III: Bargaining

7. The Reaper (ft. Aaron Gillespie)

8. The Two Tongues (Screaming Salvation)

9. The Truth I’ll Never Tell

Stage IV: Acceptance

10. The Haunting

11. The Hurt, The Hope

12. The End.

Rating: 10/10

The Great Depression is available on August 10th via Fearless Records. Pre-Order Here

Review by Heather McNab

Revisit our interview with As It Is frontman Patty Walters here

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