Review: All Gone – Beachy Head
- by Nicholas Gaudet
- in Reviews
If All Gone, Beachy Head’s newest single, had wings, it would soar higher than planes could. The band have outdone themselves in one of the greatest soft rock ballads to surface in recent years.
First of all, I would highly recommend anyone listening to this song to do so with their eyes closed for the first time. There are so many layers that add to the immersion of the song that are utterly indescribable other than to just experience it. It’s like if an ambiance track had been turned to a song. The multiple layers of synths that float right off the start give much space for the composition to breathe. The rest of the band come in all together once the mood has really been set, and more sounds from various synths and keyboards travel from left to right, swirling you into complete relaxation. The soft execution on all the instruments, as well as the breathy voice of the singer, do wonders to compliment that tone set in the intro. Really, the entire track from start to finish reminded me of a mid-70s-era Pink Floyd song. While it wasn’t as slow as songs like Breathe or Comfortably Numb, which could easily be compared to All Gone, it was just as relaxing, and nearly psychedelic-inducing. The imagery the band manages to cast in listeners’ minds is truly admirable, and set out for a wonderful experience with every repeat of the song.
The song, dynamically speaking, doesn’t shift all too much. It finds a comfortable place and explores the different sounds that can be achieved within it. That isn’t a bad thing, however, though it could be had it not been so brilliantly executed. The song never feels boring, stale, or repetitive. If anything, I’d say it’s a little too short, but honestly the smaller runtime welcomes replayability, which serves the tune greatly. Despite its similarities with older, 70s classics, it never feels dated, though bears the spirit of those beloved sounds. It’s a wonderful progression of the world of soft/alt rock, a genre that normally both expands and relies on the giants of many decades ago. All Gone isn’t void of that, but it takes the best aspects of those times and moves them forward in a wonderful anthem.
