The Earth & All Within are redefining a new genre, which is string-rock. They have released their debut album, mixing rock music and orchestral string music. James Ellis, a singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, is the mastermind behind the band. Additionally, the strings section is performed by the Philadelphia String Quartet.
The Earth & All Within album is not what you would expect; the fusion of both classical string musical pieces and gritty guitar chords is a new sound. The first time I heard the album, I felt a bit weirded out by the new fusion. It felt like mixing chalk and cheese, messy, unfiltered, and distorted. However, after listening to the album a couple of times, I felt the blend of genres has great potential. It is a bold and brave mix that definitely should be given a chance.
I recommend starting with “I Never Liked You (Anyway)” to ease you into the mood. The song feels like a nostalgic ride in the 2000s rock era with a sprinkle of classical music. The song is fun, gritty, and energetic.
“Glitch” is also fitting more into the alt-rock scene with fragments of classical music. Overpowered by ferocious guitar beats. The vocals were different from the rest of the tracks in the album. The song gave me a haunted and mysterious aura.
“The Earth” was a great musical piece that felt like the band perfected the blend between both styles, a befitting intro to the album. Some bits of the string music felt like it could fit in a dramatic scene in Bridgerton. I would easily pick it as one of my favorite tracks from this album.
“Can’t Wait to 2CU (Again)” is a very catchy and vibrant song, just like “We All Fall Down”, both songs are upbeat and energizing. On a different note, “Once &Twice” felt slower and had some somber fragments within its folds.
“When We Were Young” has a beautiful intro, and the melody is beautiful, it has a steady build-up. Unfortunately, some bits were distorted and felt noisy which could be because of the overlapping between the fusion of the styles.
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” shares the same title as the beautiful, sad poem by T.S Eliot. The song has a mellow and soft melody. The lyrics are heavily influenced by the poem, the poem describes a man who is struggling with existential anguish. The song expresses a softer version of the harsh questions that Eliot explored in his poem, yet shares the same struggle.
“& All Within” The song starts slow but soon picks up the pace and the tempo escalates into a beautiful anthem-like mood. This song is the perfect outro to the album, maybe too perfect with the repetition of the phrase “We are the Earth & All within”. The chant felt like a collective call for inclusion. It is a glorious finale of an interesting story that unfolds during the album.
The Album has such great potential, and I think in the future, James Ellis will reach the perfect balance between those styles. Although some of the songs might have been overpowered by one style or overwhelmed by the blend of the instruments, I believe this is just a part of the experiment. The Earth & All Within is a band that you should keep an eye out for their future track. I bet they would have more spectacular surprises for us, pushing beyond the norm and recreating innovative songs.
