Album/EP

Andrew W.K. - God Is Partying (Album Review)

Simon Valentine

/10

Sep 5, 2021

7 min read

Andrew W.K. - God Is Partying
Released: 10^th September 2021

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I remember first hearing about Andrew W.K. thanks to the Jackass crew immortalizing him in the chaotic ‘We Want Fun’ music video accompanying their first film. Since then, Andrew W.K. has grown to become a pop culture icon, with his trademark white uniform oozing copious amounts of positivity, aiding him in his quest to bring the power of partying to the world.

His new album, God Is Partying, while seeming to build on Andrew’s 2018 effort, You’re Not Alone (one of my top albums for that year,) seems to lack the catchy hooks that decorated his previous albums had, opting for a ‘grander’ feeling to his sound.

While it’s understandable that fans looking for the zero-to-two-hundred-BPM pop metal sound of 2001’s I Get Wet might be a little disappointed, given Andrew W.K.’s evolution into a more symphonic rock sound, it’s hard not to feel like God Is Partying could do with something that gives you that “4x4 to the face” feeling that songs like ‘I Get Wet’ and ‘Party Hard’ did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI8y36733ag

There’s still some epic rock and metal moves on God Is Partying, don’t get me wrong. Probably the stand-out tracks amongst this collection are the lead singles, ‘Everybody Sins’ and ‘Babalon,’ one of the album's lead singles, which both house the big epic riffage his earlier material is known for.

Thing is, other tracks such as ‘I’m In Heaven’ and ‘My Tower,’ tend to become more experimental jams, making it hard to stay engaged with the song - unless, of course, you’re into that kind of thing.

Andrew W.K.’s distinct style of motivational lyrics is abundant, particularly in songs like ‘Stay True To Your Heart,’ along with inspirational pep talks in the form of ‘Remember Your Oath’ and ‘No One To Know,’ backed with the large band production, with the keyboards tending to take the centre stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj8C7hKpBNA

I’m not really one to do Anthony Fantano-style ‘Not Good’ rants – it’s not that God Is Partying is a bad album - but holding this current lot of songs up next the likes of ‘We Want Fun’ and ‘Never Let Down’ and it’s hard not to want a little more of what made Andrew W.K. such an enjoyable listen on previous outings. Maybe it’s one of those cases where a few listens may help it grow on me...