More about: All Better

All Better have dropped their debut album How To Be Alone, a record of infectious alt-rock, joyously dynamic punk and addictive hooks. 

Since their formation in 2018, All Better have toured the UK and Europe relentlessly, sharing stages with Remo Drive, As It Is, Roam, Spanish Love Songs and Pkew Pkew Pkew. Their flare for an energetic, often hilarious live show, in which their punchy bangers translate seamlessly, has seen the three-piece cultivate a devoted fanbase. Their creative, self-produced videos bring to mind the East Coast pop-punk scene’s self-effacing humour and colourful DIY flavour.

Opener ‘Flutter’ sets the tone for the album, blending the punchy grit of modern pop with the nostalgic punk of All Better’s key influences in Say Anything, The Story So Far and Paramore. Singer-bassist Nick Burdett unveils an uncanny ability for effortless melodies that you’ll find yourself humming days later, all augmented with guitarist Chris Childs’ immaculate harmonies. It’s the kind of set opener that sends fans hurling themselves around as soon as the band kicks in. 

Single ‘Kicking & Screaming’ is an instant ear worm and album highlight, particularly from a lyrical standpoint, in which dark imagery comes up against the comically self-deprecating image of being dragged kicking and screaming. It’s another example of the quality of songwriting craft in All Better, layered and always emotionally three dimensional. Delivered with a joyous video featuring Brighton roller skater Naz Voghufi racing across town, it’s likely a future classic in the genre. 

The band left Brighton to create their debut during a breather between lockdowns, enlisting producer Daly George (Boston Manor, Creeper, Nervus, Milk Teeth) at The Ranch Production House in Southampton. Daly’s comment on the process, that “making this record has been one of the greatest moments in the studio for me,” is in evidence through the sonic variety on display across the record. Ostensibly taking the form of a punchy pop-punk band, there’s audio easter eggs throughout ‘How to be Alone.’ The incredibly pretty ninth track ‘Please’, which melts together gorgeous harmony with swells of brittle, jagged guitars, is a masterclass in detail and unobtrusive feeling.   

Another element that carries the record is the drums, brutally tight and subtly detailed, working to the adventurous array of songwriting and providing each track its own identity. Drummer Sam Perkins drives the record through its many sonic guises, from the hip-hop pace of ‘Wooden Boy’ and the R&B flavours of ‘Kicking & Screaming’ through to ‘Hey Chaos’s double-time skate punk. Within a genre where bands often fall flat for their reliance on conventional punk drumming, ‘How to be Alone’ is special for its variety and craft. It’s something that probably keeps fans hooked on the All Better live show, with drums meticulously developed and executed with easy, powerful energy. 

Other highlights like the ‘Laughing Stock of Me’ showcase the kind of raw, tight vitality that music fans love in a three piece, and is one of those brilliantly clever songs that plays like an effortless, uninhibited banger. Bass and drums in 3/4 lock in to give the song its off-kitler power, while guitarist Chris Childs fits together a thrilling blend of epic choruses, twitchy percussive playing and dynamic harmonies that guide the song to its ecstatic finish. 

Like many great albums, there’s an overriding sense of catharsis across How To Be Alone, the unfiltered lyrics and melodies carrying a duality of melancholic reflection delivered with a hopeful shrug. As the album title suggests, it’s a record that’s working through something — loss, self-worth and heartache — rather than drowning in it. Possessed of the complex emotional palette that modern rock can often lack, it’s a deeply rewarding listen, and an exhilarating ride. 

How To Be Alone is out now via Sugar Free Records.

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More about: All Better