Anderson East | Encore

Family Average: 4.7/7

2018 is a year of promise. A promise that we are all going to bully each other into completing tons of reviews for albums we are in no way qualified to evaluate.

We started off this year with Anderson East. Here’s what the family had to say:

Listen along on Spotify and check out what we had to say:

Let me start by reviewing the album, but I also have a part 2 to this. Holy smokes enjoyed this album in full. I have always had a pension for listening to similar southern soul music, and this lines up with some of my favorites. Had a great time bopping my head at work. Makes for great “good time” boogie kind of tunes .

This album has inspired this humble weirdo to drag his family back into this cavern of musical analysis. Honestly, this to me is an example of why we need to keep listening to new music. It may just be the kind of mood I am in today but this guy hit me haaaard, and gave me the strong desire to get a chance to read as my family loves or hates this album. So consider this my love letter to you, all you lovely people, come back to me and let’s listen to music again. 

6/7

This album is one of those that you pluck a few songs from to spice up a playlist for a backyard outing. People will be like who is this guy? Is this old or is he modern? And you’ll be like “he’s current!” And then everyone will be like “what? No way.”  but then move on while still being content with their backyard-summer-night-warm- feeling music.

Started off nice but predictable. Towards the middle he tried to “rock out” too hard with “Sorry You’re Sick”  and “Girlfriend.”

Nostalgic, Bob Seger type yet also Van Morrison-esque.  Enjoyed the slower ones more although his lyrics are a bit too easy with talk about full glasses and such.  Yet overall, enjoyed his passion and that soul.

3.5/7

I agree with Meg in that i could see you playing this in the backyard during a barbecue/party. Very familiar sounding and easy to listen too.  No real stand-out tracks for me, just overall enjoyable. Making me miss summer even more!

3/7

"There’s comfort in familiarity, so that’s what you’ll get with this."

Came home to do my homework and review an album, cause I promised I would.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I like this music.  The album was like coming home to a very familiar sound. It was like a worn-in pair of blue jeans or your favorite  sweater. It felt right and familiar,  yet new and refreshing.

If they still sell CD’s I would buy this one and listen to it in my car.

6.75/7 …I hope they all sound like this one.

In a blurred crowd of familiar faces, cheap shit beer, and good vibes…Anderson East reaches through and gives you a big old bear hug with this album.

Encore is appropriately named: It’s new but feels like a continuation of something you’ve heard a thousand times before (if you grew up listening to Springsteen and southern rock like me i guess).

There are a couple upbeat blues-rock jams that are hit or miss (i loved ‘Sorry You’re Sick’ while ‘Girlfriend ’felt out of place), but he excels on the slower jams in my opinion.

Perfect for the perpetual last call at your favorite bar, his emotional tracks will keep you going on the drive home. Just try not to cry in front of the Uber driver…seriously.

5.5/7

aghk!

1/7

This album wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything outstanding. It felt like generic dad rock, as if he was trying to emulate Bruce Springsteen or Rob Thomas but just not quite making it there. It has the soulful choruses and the rough vocals, plus all the instrumental workings, but it’s lacking inspiration. Wonder if a saxophone might have helped put it over the edge.

It’s not an album for intensive listening, but overall it’d be some nice tunes to have playing in the background. There’s comfort in familiarity, so that’s what you’ll get with this.  Some of the songs get repetitive or sound a bit too similar, but there’s enough variety that it’s not too mundane. Also, when he deviates from the norm it can be really hit or miss.  So for what it’s worth it’s a good album, but nothing groundbreaking.

4/7