Archive
You All Look The Same To Me


4.0
excellent

Review

by NordicMindset USER (160 Reviews)
February 15th, 2016 | 12 replies


Release Date: 2002 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Could I laugh again?

Archive are an interesting band. They started as out as nothing more than a huge Massive Attack wannabe, but their sound changed with every new singer. You All Look the Same to Me is the London-based collective’s third studio album, and it was their first with vocalist Craig Walker, who himself was the third lead singer to release an album with the band. By 2002, Archive had began to abandon their trip-hop beginnings in favor of a more progressive and post rock-influenced sound, much like Walker’s favorite bands, Pink Floyd and Mogwai. This lineup would only last for three records before becoming a full-fledged collective, but it firmly cemented Archive’s sound for the near future.

Legend has it that the band’s songwriter Darius Keeler had written the track “Again” prior to Craig Walker began his tenure, but it feels as if that song was written specifically [i[for him[/i]. Standing at a monumental sixteen minutes and twenty seconds long, “Again” is the pinnacle of Archive’s career, a feat that they are unlikely to ever top. Everything about it is simply perfect, from its lush atmosphere to its touching strings to its magnificent guitar solo that weaves together all of the emotions of the epic, progressive track. Walker’s vocals flawlessly detail the range of feelings produced by the toll of heartache; he’s simply despondent by minute one, irate at minute eight and completely tortured after thirteen. Yet as all the rage subsides, and the pounding of the drums fade into the background, it almost feels too good to be true. “Again” is such a monumental accomplishment that it somehow feels larger than the rest of the album, like a standalone song on an EP of its own.

However, there are still nine other songs on You All Look the Same to Me not titled “Again”. The album marks a departure from Archive’s first two, focusing primarily around creating luscious soundscapes rather than the trip-hoppy beats of their debut or the female-fronted alternative rock of their sophomore effort. A downtempo mood is created through the use of methodical percussion, slow, high piano notes, sweeping orchestral strings and sparing use of instruments such as the flute and harmonica to wistfully tie together the emotions resonated through the album. Walker’s vocals are always melancholic, filled with a sense of longing and despair. The main themes of this album are loneliness and heartache, which is complemented by its atmospheric quality and strong vocal work.

Repetition is key to You All Look the Same to Me. This is not a dynamic album by any means; rather, it continues the same mood throughout the entire duration of its song, and the mood often carries over to the next anyway. Lyrically, repetition bolsters the sentiments of the record, and beating in that same line over and over again conveys more emotion rather than wear it out. Take “Fool”, for example – half of the words in the song consist of “It’s never sure / it’s never pure / it always hurts”, but the constant hammering in of that thought refuses to let the listener forget about the hurt that Walker is singing about. “Meon” works in the same way – the depressing organs and violins are layered on top of the repeated “thoughtless baby”s, and as the song grows in volume, the agony that is protruding from the corners culminates in one last defeated gasp of “If I’m the only one, I’d rather die.”

Archive would later go on and explore a louder sound on their followup Noise, but for a brief moment, they had control of a bleak sound that worked so well for them. Even if their utilization of repetition failed badly in some aspects (“Numb” is awful with its repetitive riff and irritating beat, while “Finding It So Hard” gets old five minutes into its fifteen-minute runtime), they dominated the atmosphere when they were on. Walker could pass as more than a poor man’s Thom Yorke on here, with his higher register bearing striking similarities to the Radiohead frontman. While it may not be a classic, You All Look the Same to Me is an hour-long exercise in melancholy that never holds up in its despondency.



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user ratings (102)
3.9
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
NordicMindset
February 15th 2016


25137 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I'm attempting another comeback? What year is this?

LunaticSoul
February 16th 2016


2419 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off

Nooo man I like "Finding It So Hard" so much. This band has to be seen live though, Numb was bonkers.



Yeah totally Floyd/Radiohead inspired but it's a sweet mix indeed. Underrated band

ksoflas
February 16th 2016


1449 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Nice pick for a review man.

I love Again and Fool. Well said.

anarchistfish
April 29th 2016


30414 Comments


my friend keeps bugging me to listen to these guys. where do i start?

ksoflas
April 29th 2016


1449 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I suggest Noise for a start.

virpi
January 25th 2018


222 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

"Again" is out of this world.

haesslichermensch
January 2nd 2021


131 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Have you ever heard of a band called Archive? I really would like to know the answer to that question from 100 random people on the street. I guess most people even have not heard from them.



I just wanted to write something about their 25th anniversary album, but it is not listed. So, anyway. I came to this band in the early 00s and after that, I never met anyone who knew of that band again. Of course on the internet.



Of course this goes for many bands right? Yet, I think Archive is different. For me, they have so much commercial potential, in terms of sales when it comes to mainstream.



Would I rather listen to any Archive album before the whiny sound of Radiohead for example? Any day and any time...

Trifolium
January 8th 2021


40125 Comments


Their debut should be reviewed it is so lovely! I haven't heard anything of them besides that one, but I'm sure going to check more.

Man-Made and Nothing Else are too awesome.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
March 24th 2022


32219 Comments


Interesting record. "Again" is massive.

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
April 29th 2022


32219 Comments


Wow the new one is entirely different, what's up with this band? (Or ... collective)

Plus it's 1h45 holy crap.

Krpa
May 21st 2022


367 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This is just as good as I remember. Reminds me of both Floyd and Radiohead, but I prefer this to them.

MrSirLordGentleman
May 25th 2022


15343 Comments


Opener is sooo good



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