"The Season" by All Get Out

The Season was released by All Get Out on
Favorite Gentlemen Records on September 20, 2011

All Get Out's first full-length record, The Season is a true chronicle of the band's experiences on the road throughout the past few years.  Touring non-stop for almost 4 years now, the band has been running themselves up and down the country and giving their all for every single show.  All Get Out is a special kind of band whose lyrics travel to a place that many seem afraid to, they delve deep into the heart and mind of vocalist Nathan Hussey and it's hard to not feel some sort of connection with their music.  The Season is littered with lyrics that can make your heart jump straight out of your chest and syncopate with these songs and stories that have been laid out for the listeners.  This indie-rock quartet based out of Charleston, SC is signed to Manchester Orchestra's Favorite Gentlemen Records, so naturally comparisons to Manchester will come and go but this band is much more than a shadow of their label-heads, they're an entity of their own who have evolved into a gritty, grungy, no holds barred powerhouse of emotions and feelings that range from religion, love, death, and addiction.  The Season is a comprehensive portrait of this band that has been ever-evolving since they began their marathon of a tour life and it's a truly satisfying one.


Mixed by Matt Malpass (Manchester Orchestra, Lydia), some of the songs have a bit poppier of a tinge than found in their live performances but they've also retained much of the raw energy that can be found as well.  Opener "My Friends" hits the ground running with a crunching guitar riff and the powerful opening lines of "My friends don't cry/They tuck it in and then they drink at night".  Nothing is off-bounds for Nathan Hussey in his lyricism, and that can be found mostly in the three-part chronicle of heart breakingly personal songs of "Son Of Mine", "Let Me Go" and "Come and Gone".  Hearing Hussey croon of addiction and loss in songs that build up into emotional wrecking balls such as the end of "Let Me Go" is what makes All Get Out such a special band.  They've mastered the subtleties required to strike more than a chord with their listeners, they strike up a symphony.

The record boasts organs, trumpets, and strings in a tasteful manner rather than just seeming like they threw it in to make the record sound more polished.  However, as polished as the record sounds the true joy of All Get Out is hearing how they strip it down to the most raw and in your face mix they can get and thrust it right into your face with their live performances.  Hussey is capable of sending chills up and down your spine with his soft spoken vocals one minute, then leaving you jaw dropped as he screams deep from his throat as found in "Girl, Gun", a track that's been floating around for years.  In fact, most of these songs have been in the works for the better part of four years, fans of the band can get a true joy from hearing how evolved and focused these mixes of their live favorites have turned out.

To put it simple, this is one of the most powerful and moving records to be released in the past few years.  Maybe it's because I've seen the band live so many times and their songs have begun to relate to certain memories and recollections, but that's the true joy of All Get Out.  This band is capable of becoming the soundtrack to your life, they straddle the line of being vague enough to relate to and so deeply and incredibly personal that you could sit down and weep at the utter beauty of the story that's being conveyed within the lines of these ten songs.  It's by far one of my favorite releases of the year, I for one am simply intrigued to see where the band goes next now that they've overcome the hurdle of full-length number one.  Only time will tell how the seasons will change All Get Out, but I for one will just bask in the grace of finally being given The Season I was waiting for.

Rating: 8.9/10
Standout Tracks: "Me and My Lovers", "Come and Gone", "Let Me Go"