All The Feels

Fitz and the Tantrums continue their run of hooky pop offerings with 2019s infectious All the Feels. Having first grabbed fans with the retro 60s-style soul that made up their 2010 debut, Pickin Up the Pieces, the band led by lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick quickly evolved into a slick, modern pop outfit with 2013s More Than Just a Dream. It was a transition that they completed with 2016s Fitz and the Tantrums, an uber-glossy production that spawned the ubiquitous double-platinum hit HandClap and firmly established the group as a pop phenomenon. All the Feels arrives very much in the same vein as its two predecessors, with songs like 123456, Aint Nobody But Me, and SuperMagik built upon kinetic synth riffs, programmed-percussion grooves, and Fitzpatricks warmly resonant vocals. The best moments on All the Feels, like the power-poppy I Need Help! and the new wave-sounding OCD, balance hooks with a textured 80s-inspired production that pulls you deeper into the rousing energy of the choruses. That said, as the title implies, there are more than just upbeat anthems on All the Feels, and cuts like the title track, Basement, and Dark Days, while still uplifting, find Fitzpatrick drawing ever so slightly upon how the turmoil of the modern social climate can negatively affect your outlook. These arent really protest songs, but they are songs meant to inspire fortitude during tough times. On Dark Days he sings, Imma keep dreamin in these dark days/Cuz you never know. Regardless of sentiment, this track, like many of the tracks on All the Feels, straddles the line between club bangers and kids pop mixtape fodder, leaving you in a better mood than you were in before you hit Play. ~ Matt Collar

マイケル・フィッツパトリックを中心にノエル・スキャッグスらが在籍し、すこぶるダンサブルな楽曲で人気を博しているLAの6人組ポップ・バンド。前作『Fitz And The Tantrums』(2016年)からのヒット"HandClap"が韓国発のダイエット動画で使われ、2019年になって日本でバズったのも記憶に新しいが、この通算4枚目の新作でも中毒性の高い曲作りの巧さとエモい歌声の魅力は全開。子どもたちの掛け声をあしらった先行ヒット"123456"をはじめ、いかにもアリーナ映えしそうな"I Just Wanna Shine""I Need Help!"など、人間味のあるシンセ・ポップを基調にEDM的なドロップやシンガロング誘発パートも周到に備えた佳曲がズラリと並ぶ。どこを切ってもサウンド・ロゴ的な親しみやすさが飛び出してくる快作!
bounce (C)出嶌孝次