[Album Review] Above & Beyond – We Are All We Need

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Months and months after waiting, we’ve been finally blessed with Above & Beyond‘s latest studio album ‘We Are All We Need‘. The album has been gaining massive momentum since the trio have been playing tracks from the album at their various shows, including their monumental show, ABGT100 at Madison Square Garden, New York. Above & Beyond‘s music has always been known for the omnipresent emotional quotient, and this album is no different to that.

The album kicks off in classic Above & Beyond style, with ‘Quieter Is Louder‘ serving as an intro for the album, with a beautifully crafted piano melody setting the mood for the rest of the album, with underlying vocals and subdued string arrangements giving it the soul stirring aura that an Above & Beyond album deserves and needs. Quieter Is Louder is followed by ‘We’re All We Need‘, the track Above & Beyond premiered at ABGT100 to a rapturous crowd. Featuring the amazing Zoe Johnston on vocals, the track characterises the iconic Above & Beyond sound, with uplifting synth progressions, bold piano chords, regurgitating string arrangements that complete the sound of the track, coupled with Zoe Johnston‘s absolutely amazing vocals. ‘Blue Sky Action‘ features synthed up guitar strings and with Alex Vargas‘ vocals kicking in, the track gives you a very “Brian Eno meets U2″-esque feel, with its upbeat mood and pop influences, and has already become a crowd favourite at Above & Beyond shows. Next up on the album is ‘Peace of Mind‘, complete with distorted synths, Zoe Johnston on vocals, an overall uplifting vibe and intricate piano chords that fit right into the whole arrangement seamlessly, making the track a delight for the listener.

‘Counting Down The Days‘ starts of with deeper, darker undertones, while featuring subdued synths, a warm chord arrangement coupled with bold piano chords and Irish vocalist Gemma Hayes on vocal duties. ‘Sticky Fingers‘ has been one of the most played track in Above & Beyond‘s sets after the trio premiered it at ABGT050 in London in 2013, and even played it during their India tour in November that year. With a lyrical theme of nostalgia and lingering love, the track starts off with a soft piano groove and very subtle xylophone notes in the background, and turns into a bass laden melody, which clearly shows signs of Andrew Bayer‘s contribution in the production of the track. Vargas‘ overlapping vocal hooks, accompanied just by an interplay of both minor and major piano chords, followed by massive big room synths, turn the track into explosive festival anthem. Above & Beyond take a modern approach to their old sound with ‘Hello‘, starting off with dreamy vocal samples and following up with electro synth stabs and an atmospheric vibe from Above & Beyond‘s signature sound of old, this track does make us reminisce of the old days. The pick of the album has to be ‘Little Something‘. Serving as the poignant moment in the album, ‘Little Something‘ channels Oceanlab and takes forward the legacy of ‘On A Good Day‘ to immortalize it in the forever. With just intricate piano notes and Justine Suissa‘s ethereal vocals giving birth to the track, a very subtle percussive element comes into the foray during Suissa‘s vocal hook, which later takes the form of electric drums to give an added depth to the hauntingly beautiful track, turning it into a ballad,  which will make you shed a tear or two.

‘All Over The World‘ takes on a more upbeat vibe with Alex Vargas‘ soulful vocals, infectious synth chord progressions and uplifting trance influences to turn the track into another Above & Beyond classic. ‘Fly To New York‘, the track which was aptly debuted by the trio with the aftermovie for ABGT100, kicks off with an amalgamation of sonorous piano chords, xylophone notes, synth stabs and Zoe Johnston‘s vocals, that lead to a breakdown of euphoric, upbeat chord progressions, perfect for clubs. All of us remember Tony‘s heart rendering rendition of ‘Making Plans‘ on the Acoustic album. And now the trio have given it a new identity on the album. With vocals from Alex Vargas overlaying on a serene soundscape, which infuses ambient and glitch elements, soft percussion and subtle string arrangements make this track as beautiful as the acoustic one. ‘Out of Time‘ opens with bass synth stabs, with synth progressions leading to the bridge, which features piano chords, subtle synth hooks building towards a melodic breakdown, which would find its way easily into the initial half of an Above & Beyond set.

‘Excuses‘ stands out due to Tony McGuinness‘ vocals on the track. After providing the vocals along with Richard Bedford on Black Room Boy for their second studio album ‘Group Therapy‘ and later doing the vocals for Making Plans on the ‘Acoustic‘ album, Tony returns on the vocal duties for the third time on ‘Excuses‘. Complete with a big percussive line and percussive snares building up in the background, infectious synth hooks and piano chords make this track nothing less of a festival anthem. ‘Save Me‘ starts off with a vibrant, bass laden synth progression that is joined by Zoe Johnston’s vocals, with a piano bridge leading towards the breakdown, kicked off by a snare progression and followed by an amalgamation of bass synth progressions from the intro, piano and Zoe Johnston vocals. ‘Sink The Lighthouse‘ just relies on the vocals of Alex Vargas and piano chords, coupled with very subtle xylophone notes and a slightly dark string arrangement to deliver a haunting rendition that stays and lingers in the back of your head! Concluding the album is ‘Treasure‘, providing the perfect closure to this brilliant album. With Zoe Johnston on the vocal duties for the final time on the album, subtle synth progressions and some brilliant piano chords, ‘Treasure’ brings the album to a beautiful close, giving it the ending it deserves!

This album, like every other Above & Beyond album, has been crafted for a complete listening experience. You won’t get the experience listening to it in bits and pieces. It is meant to be listened to as an album.
Is it brilliant? Absolutely
Is it as ground breaking as their iconic album Group Therapy? – No. But it would be unfair to compare both the albums, since both are brilliant in their own right.
Would we recommend you to buy the album? Hells to the yes. The album has been gaining massive momentum since it was announced, and now that it’s here, it definitely will make a place in your playlist.

You can buy the album from either iTunes or Beatport.