Let’s get the obvious out of the way, if you like Sleep Token, but prefer the less guitar driven and chilled out aspects of their music, this is definitely the band for you.
Starting from the beginning, I’ll be totally honest, the first track doesn’t overly grab you and it is definitely the weakest track on this 6 track offering. It just kinda builds like it has a destination, but then you get lost and just go back the way you came, it sort of ‘fizzles out’. I guess that goes against what you feel is going to happen making it different, but it didn’t do it for me.
However, once you get past the opener, you get to the good shit. Pure atmospheric, beautiful and ominous soundscapes covered in a rather calming and emotive vocal. The next 3 tracks (‘Mood Stabiliser’, ‘Warm Jets’ and ‘True Colours’) are all a wonderful sonic journey through all the best aspects of post rock with added electronic influences to give it a different kind of edge. It’s unbelievably relaxing and really just allows you to sit back and take it all in. Each listen you hear and feel new things you did’t notice before. It’s wicked.
They break it up a bit with an almost upbeat instrumental track to contradict the depressing title, ‘ I was sat by a window and there was a bright light and I was very sad’… I’ve always been a fan of stupidly long song titles, it really makes you go ‘uh… what ? I’m gonna have to check that out’.
Finally, you get the title track ‘We Can Never Not Be All Of Us’… My favourite track on the EP. The drum work, the double vocals an octave apart and the soothing lead vocal about 2 minutes in, it’s well worth the wait and a great choice to end on.
Overall, once you get past the first track, the rest of this EP is well worth a listen. I’m glad I got the chance to review this EP and have a proper listen, because I saw Poisonous Birds supporting Sleep Token before the whole Covid-19 situation and I didn’t really know what to make of it. I didn’t know anything about them at the time. Having listened to their EP, I get it now. This is definitely a band you need to have a previous knowledge of before you see them live to fully appreciate what it is they are doing with their music and their shows. It’s also really nice as someone from Bristol, to see a band coming out of your home city doing something different.
Favourite Track(s) – We Can Never Not Be All Of Us/Warm Jets/true Colour.
For Fans Of – Sleep Token, Blackmill, Etc.
Overall Rating – 7/10