Reading Time: 2 min read

4 out of 5 stars

Years & Years, Palo Santo [Photo Credit: Polydor]British electronic collective Years & Years releases “All for You,” their fourth single released in advance of their sophomore LP, ‘Palo Santo.’

“You played your game, it was all for you.” Years & Years have been on fire leading up to their highly-anticipated sophomore album, Palo Santo. Olly Alexander and company haven’t missed yet, delivering three awesome singles with “Sanctify” (no. 2 on our 50 Best Songs of 2018 (So Far)), “If You’re Over Me”, and title track, “Palo Santo”. With the July 6 release date for Palo Santo nearby, the British electronic collective drops a fourth advance single, “All for You.”

 

Pop producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin sits behind the boards for “All for You.” Unsurprisingly, he gets the best out of Olly and Years & Years.  “All for You” keeps the tempo relatively quick, and the key major.  It’s interesting that this is such a bright number, considering a relationship is going down the drain.  On the pre-chorus, Alexander sings, “Ooh, everyone sees a man so tall, so perfect, they said / Yeah, you’ve got ambition / I thought we would grow in time, I wasn’t prepared / Now, am I forgiven?” That leads into the most high-energy portion of the record, the chorus, with the closing lyric referenced earlier.  In addition to the pre-chorus and chorus, the bridge section stands out, as Alexander is honest about his regrets.  “Kneeling at your temple, love was accidental… / Thinking I was careful, losing every battle…”


Final Thoughts

To reiterate the final thoughts from previous singles, there’s NO possible way that Palo Santo can end up being a letdown, is there?  NO POSSIBLE WAY.  “All for You” is yet another fine single. It’s well-produced, well-performed, and cleverly written.  It doesn’t necessarily supplant the three singles that precede it, but it’s another moment likely to shine on Palo Santo.


Years & Years • Palo Santo • Polydor • Release: 7.6.18
Photo Credit: Polydor

the musical hype

the musical hype (Brent Faulkner) has earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music (music education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He's a certified music educator, composer, and freelance music blogger. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he's blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.

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