Album Review: As December Falls - 'Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine'
As December Falls’ eruption onto the UK pop-punk scene in 2021 has signified them as mainstays and now, Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine, sees them set to take the main spotlight with a brutally honest approach that balances on the edge of chasing a dream.
If you want a pop punk album that doesn’t play it safe and is sprawling, unafraid to pull its punches, Everything’s on Fire But I’m Fine tackles everything that you need. It’s all over the place in terms of inspiration but thematically linked for a cohesive, structured approach that doesn’t shy away from holding back – whether drawing inspiration rom late night Twitch gaming sessions for Arcane inspired anthem Ready Set Go that puts them firmly in the Against the Current-influenced category, or real life best-friend revenge arcs involving affairs and break-up stories for For the Plot, Everything’s On Fire But I’m Fine pulls all its punches.
It's appropriate then, that it’s an album that’s aimed at anyone who’s felt overwhelmed or underestimated, or just not quite there. Stress has amplified in the resultant wave of the pandemic and the state of the world around us can often seem like too much at once – it’s where As December Falls step in, not here to cater to fan-service, this is the album that you can only really make when you’re unafraid to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks – and to their credit, everything does.
Grim Reaper and Angry Cry are chaotic, visceral and vulnerable songs that pave way for the heartbreak and red flags of Bathroom Floor. That stretch of Bathroom Floor, Angry Cry, I’m No Good Alone and Grim Reaper showcases the vulnerability of lead frontwoman Bethany Curtis – unafraid to let her emotions become laid bare on screen. You can tell that their influence from supporting RØRY on stage at 02 Kentish Town, where I last saw them deliver a cracking set is present on this album – Curtis isn’t afraid to dig into the honest repercussions of Therapy and show how important it really is. Sometimes it’s hard not to move on and sometimes it’s impossible to do so – “Getting even, getting sad, getting really fucking mad, when I should be over it,” Curtis cries – “And all you’ll ever see is the worst of me,” laying it bear on stage, telling the audience that “deep down [I] need some healing.” It’s ready to be screamed out on stage – and paired with Sometimes I Hurt My Own Feelings, the raw vulnerability that Curtis reveals to the audience showcases her presence as something that’s more authentic than most bands out at a similar level of fame.
Already winning best breakthrough at Heavy Music Awards in 2023 with their debut performance at Download festival sending shockwaves throughout the pop punk scene, there’s a real love and built in fanbase behind this band. They’re aware that most bands don’t get to make it to the fourth album and are taking the privilege that comes with that – they don’t have a label or management so are doing it all themselves, and it’s a very unique approach that should be commended when the material is as strong as it is.
Piano tracks are everywhere on this album but also Ready Set Go taps into the spirit of being in the undercity on Arcane so well you’d feel like it was a request from the showrunners themselves; and their emo aesthetic feels ready made to be adopted by the crowds of Slamdunk and 2000 Trees festivals. It’s a primer ready for a chaotic time that plays at all the heartstrings – and yes, streaming their album is great, but have you really experienced an As December Falls show until you’ve seen them live? They’re a real tour-de-force of nature – and look set to eat up Camden’s Electric Ballroom in October as part of their resurgence of a headline show; taking what they’ve learnt from the festival circuit and supporting RØRY and bringing it to the next level – I can’t wait to see them again deliver on the full potential of this album.
It's a band that wear their heart on their sleeve and are showcasing who they are and what they do – they’re honest from the ground up – and in the words of Bethany Curtis herself, “they resonate with the brutality of that because we are telling them exactly how it is,” and that’s why they’ve emerged from the pop punk underground to become one of its newest stars. Influences of Dimension and Sub Focus overshadow Ready Set Go but As December Falls aren’t afraid to dip into The All-American Rejects and Against the Current for deeper cuts.
It’s distinctively their own record – and all the better for it - heartbreaks in their pursuit of stardom show that it’s not an easy path for anyone to make and the chaotic mesh of emotions that come outpouring from that progress show it’s a real growth in character arc. The album is watching a story unfold showing that the band know they’re no longer small-time and are ready for the big leagues; but have arrived at a time when everything’s on fire all around them and burning down.
Words by Miles Milton Jefferies
