Andrew W.K. Retains Powerful Party Persona On ‘You’re Not Alone’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

[rating=8.00]

There is no other musician in the public conscious quite like Andrew W.K. The Michigan-raised rocker claims titles like motivational speaker, club owner, radio personality, and music producer. Many remember W.K. for his controversial album cover for I Get Wet, which features a bloody-nosed, greasy, and intense Andrew staring maniacally. However it’s the energy he brings to his music that has the power to changes lives, and with his first album in eight years, You’re Not Alone, he aims to do just that. You’re Not Alone retains the same ‘party’ aesthetic as previous albums, but you get the feeling that Andrew’s definition of that word has matured to encapsulate perseverance, hope, and love.

Andrew welcomes you to the album with a robot voice repeating ‘Party, Party, Party’ over and over on the song, “The Power of Partying.” The highlight of the entire album is the uplifting, “Music Is Worth Living For,” which gives you an inkling of the theatrical grandiosity present throughout the entire album. “Ever Again” and “I Don’t Know Anything” keep the momentum and chorus hooks coming at break-neck speed.

The fifth track of the album, “The Feeling of Being Alive,” introduces the first of three spoken word tracks that proves to be a tip of the hat to his motivational speaking career. “Party Mindset” features a poppy synth and catchy rollicking chorus, while “The Party Never Dies” is a hard-hitting ode to -you guessed it– partying.

“Give Up On You” and “Keep On Going” are uplifting and inspirational tracks but one of the catchiest tracks throughout the entire album is “The Devils On Your Side” which has a 70’s KISS-knockoff sound. “Break The Curse” goes closer to metal than most of the album, with a Type O Negative-esque feel, and “Total Freedom” would fit in perfectly on a Top 40 station playing stadium rock.

The album concludes with the self-titled track, “You’re Not Alone” which makes the rest of the album pale in regards to its bombastic and theatrical nature. Andrew understands that the world is in a dark place and that his listener’s personal struggle can go unrecognized – yet on You’re Not Alone, he makes the listener feel as if he truly cares. Eleven years is a long hiatus for any musician to bounce back from, but Andrew W.K. has made sure these sixteen tracks of life advice and music are worth the wait.