Review: Sad Park - It's all over

Label: Lauren Records

If there's any justice left in today's music industry, these guys will become huge in the years to come. And this album, after two EPs and a debut Full Length, should be the key to success, at least it does have all the qualities to be so. 

SAD PARK took some time to come up with this LP, exactly speaking three and a half years. The good thing is, that you can hear and feel all the effort that went into the writing and recording process of "It's all over". While showcasing their own style, none of the thirteen songs is exactly alike. The band out of Los Angeles, California operates as a four-piece, they sound tight as fuck and they just know what they do. So... what are they doing? 

SAD PARK don't fit in anywhere perfectly. Releasing "It's all over" via Lauren Records makes sense, cause Midwest-Emo definitely left a mark in their nature. But it's not like that they are cherishing the good ol' times of SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE... no! They take more from this century's revivalists but then again, nah, they don't fit in there too. They also remind me of some classic Pop-Punkers like THE QUEERS or even the THE CLASH and the RAMONES. Yeah, this comparison is as crippled as the one before, but you can feel the sparks this kind of music (or more modern bands) left on SAD PARK's style.

...after groping in the dark for too long, here's my best shot: WEEZER. The blue version of them. And that's definitely a good thing, cause at its time this album was a game changer and it's still unique today. There's a lot of WEEZERism going on here, be it with the overall aestehtics, the personal and oh so charming lyrics, the type of music with all the Garage-Rock-stuff and Pop-gestures taking place or the versatility from one song to another. SAD PARK are so well defined that it'd be no blasphemy to call them the "NEW WEEZER".

Speaking about songs, oh yeah, where to start? Me thinks, that putting "Awake" as an opener is a courageous decision. This song is not really telling for the album as a whole. Not that it is totally out of the box, but it's more in the vein of the aformentioned new wave of Indie-ish Emo, in the vein of BALANCE AND COMPOSURE and similar bands. It's a great way to open up the album, but usually the tracks on "It's all over" are more lightfooted. Like "Nothing ever", which is next. This song is just amazing and shows all the qualities of this young band. It flows just so well, from fast to sensitive. The way how the rhythmic shredding in the verse moves into this gorgeous bass line is breathtaking, on top of that the chorus is the catchiest thing I've heard all year. If you want to convince the doubters, show 'em "Nothing ever". If that won't help, nothing ever will help them fools! Despite there are eleven tracks yet to come, there is no bummer to be found on SAD PARK's second LP. "Over and Over" and "I should" are the two songs, that were being released earlier this year, but even if I liked them the first time around, they shine even brighter in their new setting, especially the latter song is as catchy as it gets.  

Even the "weaker" songs in my book [like "(You will) fade from me" or "I'm going to leave you with this"] are far away from slowing things down and they are incorporated smoothly in the tracklist. Other cuts, like "I'm ok with Lying if you are too" or "Sell Out" didn't catch my attention at first, like "Nothing ever" or "I should" did, but they grew a lot in my perception and I more than appreciate them now. There's no real breather anyway, as the songs just float into each other without a dull moment or any kind of unnecessary intro/interlude/joking-aroung-crap. Sure, there's the 38-second long jingling of "Looking back", but even that makes sense, as it paves the way for the grande finale that is "Moving Forward" and the title track "It's all over". The first one mentioned shows the Californians' talent one more time, as it proves, that they can rock out while being melodic and anthemic. A few silent seconds elapse, as the longest track closes out the album, clocking in at 6 minutes. In a rare case, the title track is pretty sluggish at first, but slides into an intense crescendo that doesn't really explode but once again finds its way to some cosy jingling, which tunes out this potential masterpiece.

Did I say "masterpiece"? Time will possibly tell, but what's safe to say for me right now is: In terms of composition and density "It's all over" is one of the most impressive LPs I've heard in a long, long time. SAD PARK have it all and it'd be a real shame if they'd go unnoticed. It's all over?! More like: It all begins.

Rating: 9 out of 10 10 out of 10 (November '21)

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