Album Review: As Everything Unfolds - Ultraviolet

Certain records open up new worlds of possibility. It's hard to explain what it is about one record out of an entire genre that appeals to you above all the others, but when Dream State released "Primrose Path", it was the first time the modern post-hardcore scene made sense to me. It's obviously not music intended for me, but there was something to that record I could connect with, despite being a generation too old. Maybe I heard echos of the past being twisted into something new, or maybe I was just in a weird mood that day. Whatever the case, it was one of my favorite records when it came out.

As that band has undergone a dramatic shift, and is no longer the same group making the same music, As Everything Unfolds picks up the baton and starts this new leg. Their debut album was interesting, but still needed seasoning to make it to the top of the mountain. With this second record, they have honed their sound and found the focus needed to do just that.

The shift starts with the aggression, which is still present, but is used more sparingly. The harsh bellows and thrashing instrumentation are accents that color the songs, not the core of them. That lets them hit harder when they do pop up, but it also puts the emphasis on Charlie Rolfe's melodies, which are what will separate As Everything Unfolds from the other bands trying to mine this style. The album is a metaphor for putting yourself under examination, and letting the evidence of our worst moments be seen. All of that is easier to do, and easier to hear, when it comes with the sense of optimism a good melody can inject.

If this was wallowing in hopelessness, it wouldn't be an enjoyable record. What makes this album work, much like "Primrose Path" did, is the feeling that comes across in the choruses that we know our flaws, we know what needs to be fixed, and we're working (albeit slowly) towards getting there. The beauty of the music is there to tell us rough edges can be smoothed out, and rough waters will eventually calm down.

I'm not going to say everything on the album works that well. "Flip Side" leans too much into the harsh and electronic. I didn't like it as a single, and I like it less in the context of the better songs on the album. But for the most part, the band is delivering the kind of anthemic music that makes you want to root for them. From beginning to end, they charm us with their honesty, their commitment, and their songcraft.

I would certainly say this is a step up from their first record, and it stands among the better records of the style. I don't quite think it has the killer instinct of a song like Dream State's "Hand In Hand", but this story is still in its early stages. We're hearing a band rise, and if they continues on, As Everything Unfolds is going to be around for a long time.