We Are The In Crowd – ‘Weird Kids’ Album Review

We Are The In Crowd – ‘Weird Kids’ Album Review

Track listing

1.  Long Live The Kids 
2. The Best Thing (That Never Happened) 
3. Manners
4. Come Back Home 
5. Attention
6. Dreaming Out Loud
7. Remember (To Forget You) 
8. Don't You Worry
9. Windows In Heaven 
10. Reflections

We Are The In Crowd used to be a pop-rock band that was consistently fun and bubbly with upbeat riffs and catchy lyrics that annoyed you to the point of madness. But you loved them anyway. With Weird Kids, they seem to have dimmed their playful spark whist embarking on a journey of musical progression.

Opener ‘Long Live The Kids’ exemplifies this, with sombre piano notes accompanying Tay Jardine’s crooning at the beginning until we’re hit with a storming wave of guitars and drums that are boring and monotonous. It sets the more serious tone for most of the album and sheds the happy, carefree image that WATIC have held for so long. Musically, everything is great – Rob Chianelli’s drum beats are better than ever, Mike Ferri’s bass riffs are prominent and effective in contributing a grittier undertone and Tay and Jordan's vocals are on point; there’s just a repetitive nature to songs such as Manners, Come Back Home, Dreaming Out Loud and Don’t You Worry. They all share the same dull tones and seem to lack the punchy, kick-ass moments of elation and rapture that distinguished WATIC.

However, Weird Kids seems to be in two halves. The better half includes songs such as The Best Thing (That Never Happened), Attention, Remember (To Forget You) and Reflections, all of which are loud, peppy reminders of why WATIC are such a great band. The Best Thing (That Never Happened) was the first video to be released from the album and rightly so – it’s fun, it’s feisty and, better yet, it sings about punching Alex Gaskarth in the face. Attention and Remember (To Forget You) sound like relics of WATIC’s first album, Best Intentions, with dynamic vocals, loud choruses and bouncy riffs that are both light-hearted and powerful.

Windows In Heaven is the black sheep of the album, consisting of Tay singing a sorrowful solo of her late father and is a welcome break from the musical complexities of the rest of the album. Whereas other songs experiment with different instruments, melodies and pitches, Windows In Heaven is quite minimalist in its approach to accentuate Tay’s vocals, including only a faint synth line, dulled drum kicks and single strings until it shatters into a moving and powerful ending that will draw a tear from the eyes of many. Finale Reflections sets the bar high for future singles from WATIC, with powerful choruses and thorny lyrics that give the song a gritty vigour that Weird Kids so desperately needs. Reflections and Windows In Heaven are each in leagues of their own and create an explosive ending to a not-so-explosive album.

Overall, this album is a messy paint palette – it sounds like an experiment to show that We Are The In Crowd are not a one-trick pony. It has a certain element of intricateness, but it seems like everything has been over-thought in an attempt to show their progression in the two years since Best Intentions and it’s very cautious in its approach. Having said that, Weird Kids does have some killer tracks and it’s definitely worth a listen. You’re almost there, WATIC. Almost. 

We Are The In Crowd - The Cockpit, Leeds 30/1/14 Live Review

We Are The In Crowd - The Cockpit, Leeds 30/1/14 Live Review 

It seems that We Are The In Crowd are never off UK soil and they kicked off 2014 by embarking on their third headline tour in two years, dragging along Newport rockers Save Your Breath and pop punk newbies Neck Deep along for the ride.

                Save Your Breath are first up and although it’s not a brilliant kick-start for the evening, their charm came from the knowledge that they wouldn’t have an enormous reception. Their witty stage-talk and catchy tunes win the audience over and frontman Kristian Richards has no trouble engaging everyone in clapping, jumping and creating mosh pits for the people in the audience with more hair than sense.

                Neck Deep grace the stage afterwards and remind everyone exactly why they headlined (and sold out) the very same venue a couple of weeks earlier. Ben Barlow’s loud-mouthed vocals are on point and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans’ mini solo in Growing Pains gains an audible cheer from the crowd. Fan favourite A Part Of Me went down a storm, with Ben allowing the audience to sing the female parts in lieu of Laura Whiteside, but the greatest reactions were to new songs such as Crushing Grief (No Remedy) and Damsel In Distress (or as they liked to call it, Denzel in Distress). The energy radiating from the band and the crowd is unbelievable and a throng of stage divers ensued from the very first note of Neck Deep’s set, remaining that way until the end of the night. With the crowd pumped and kicking, the clock ticked down to the beginning of We Are The In Crowd’s headline performance.

                They enter in a cloud of smoke and kick off with new single The Best Thing, much to the pleasure of the audience who scream back every word with reverence. It’s a great start to a great show and the inclusion of five new songs adds an interesting twist to an overused set-list, although fans of Jordan Eckes may have been disappointed at his lack of vocals alongside Tay Jardine’s. It’s clear that WATIC have progressed dramatically in their two years since they released Best Intentions and the transitions between new and old songs seem like hiccups – the two eras of WATIC don’t fit so smoothly into one set and the central focus on Tay is a little off-putting on a small stage.

Tay ’s personal song Windows In Heaven was transformed into a powerful and moving performance with an explosive finale that captured the emotions that the studio version couldn’t and Long Live The Kids kept the crowd belting their hearts out, showing that this song was definitely meant for a live audience. Old favourites were performed, much to the delight of fans, and an acoustic rendition of For The Win offers a calming antidote from the overwhelming vigour that WATIC cast onto the crowd throughout the night. Tunes such as Kiss Me Again and The Worst Thing About Me are played to perfection, keeping the crowd on their toes with their fists in the air. Upbeat and vociferous finale Rumour Mill leaves the crowd on a high before they disperse, leaving a few girls to scan the floor in search of a fallen guitar pick.

                Although the venue wasn’t sold out, the night was a success and the line-up was impeccable – all three bands complemented each other yet offered something different. With the release of their new album Weird Kids, it’s likely that WATIC will headline a bigger venue on their next headline tour and rightly so - their live performances and musical progression deserve a greater reward than a stage overlooking 500 fans and a barman. 

We Are The In Crowd – ‘The Best Thing’ Single Review

We Are The In Crowd – ‘The Best Thing’ Single Review

                After months spent slaving in the studio, We Are The In Crowd have finally given us a release date for their second album – 18^th February 2014 – and a teaser of what to expect with their second single from ‘Weird Kids.’

                Following on from ‘Attention,’ which they performed at Reading and Leeds Festival this year, ‘The Best Thing’ shows a grittier side of vocalist Tay Jardine as she sings of heartbreak (by All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth, I wonder?) and vents her anger with feisty lyrics such as ‘you ain’t nothing but a prick’ and ‘you’ll crack just like the rest when I break your fucking jaw.’

However, as bitter as this song may sound, it’s surprisingly one of the most uplifting and energetic songs in their discography, declaring ‘you’re never gonna hold me down’. Jaunty drum rhythms, peppy guitar riffs and an extensive use of synthesisers ensure that WATIC don’t lose themselves in angst and maintain the feel-good vibes that make them sensational live performers.

 ‘The Best Thing’ really is one of the best things to come from the Poughkeepsie five-piece. In fact, it’s so good that you won’t even notice the absence of Jordan Eckes’ usual vocals, demonstrating just how far We Are The In Crowd have progressed in the short time they’ve been around. It’s catchy, it’s bouncy, it’s aggressive and it’s bound to be phenomenal when they let it loose for the first time on their UK tour next year.