Week 1 Review (4.5 out of 5)
52 Weeks is the first project from the band Into It. Over It. The concept behind the album was to record and release a new song every week for an entire year. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album, but I was very skeptical about being able to handle 52 songs (totaling 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 26 seconds) from an artist I had never heard before.
However, from the first listen I was blown away. Into It. Over It. have a lot of great songs here which span a wide variety of song styles. From the melancholy acoustic album opener “Batsto”, to the hard hitting rock of “Heartificial”. From toe-tapping sing-alongs like “Ashley’s Big Adventure” which have left me singing “I’m running late for work!” all week long, to my personal favorite and the humbly cynical “Gear Isn’t Expensive”, where singer/songwriter Evan reminisces about working with past band members.
At times the songs have the uniqueness of a Ben Gibbard tune, while other songs rock like Look Mexico’s This Is Animal Music. The one song I should take horrible offense to (since I was born there), “Radpid Shitty, SD” is redeemed by the electronic background sounds that give it an almost Postal Service quality.
While comparisons to several other bands can be made here, Into It. Over It. makes this album their own and give 52 Weeks it’s own heartbeat. IIOI use a variety of sounds and recording techniques, such as post song conversations, over powering distortion, and even a metronome keeping the beat (which despite the lyrics I’m still convinced is a wood block), to make each song a different part of the same living organism.
The only downfall to this album is the amount of songs, which has almost become a blessing because with each new listen I find something new and interesting about 52 Weeks. Evan’s amazing voice, combined with his talented guitar picking and infectious lyrics will keep this album in my playlist for well over a mere 52 weeks!
I cannot wait to hear more from Into It. Over It.
