It is about time for a dance break and Fitz and the Tantrums is here with the soundtrack for it. The electronic band’s new album “All the Feels,” released Sept. 20, pairs vibrant beats and catchy melodies with empowering and emotional lyrics.
Though the music video for the title track “All The Feels” suggests that it is about a romantic relationship, the song itself can be applied to many life situations, and when combined with the rest of the album really does give “All The Feels.” It has a positive message of self empowerment and doesn’t shy away from the subject of mental illness and the roadblocks it can put in front of major goals or even daily tasks.
“I Need Help!” speaks to the importance of learning to ask others for support with lines like “Sometimes, I just need a little help / Why do I try to take the world on by myself / I’m asking you please, a little help / Tell me you’ll be there when I need somebody else.”
“I Just Wanna Shine” includes mentions of anxiety — with lines like “Goodnight stress, see you in the morning / I don’t gotta guess, you’re always there for me / Sowing them seeds of doubt, I think you like seeing me freak out” — but has an overall focus on overcoming it and not listening to self-doubt as the chorus repeats “I just wanna shine like the sun when it comes up / Run the city from the rooftops, ‘Cause today’s gonna be my day.”
Five of the album’s 17 songs, “123456,” “Don’t Ever Let Em,” “I Need Help,” “I Just Wanna Shine” and “All The Feels,” were released in advance of the album and all have accompanying music videos. “123456” introduced many new listeners to the band when it was used in a promotional stream for Apple but was considered “too poppy” for many long-time fans.
Fitz and the Tantrums has been categorized as electronic, pop, alternative and indie pop and the band does not seem constricted by any of those labels — though some fans seem to want them to be. Others admire the variability of the Fitz sound. Some fans also complained about a lack of vocal features from “co-lead” singer Noelle Scaggs. It would perhaps be more accurate to call her a backup singer for the band, not just on this album, but for most of the band’s work.
The concert tour supporting the album is coming to the U.S. and Canada between November and March next year. Standout songs include “SuperMagik,” “Stop” and “Livin’ For The Weekend” which comments on today’s gun culture. Fans have waited over three years for the release of this, the fourth Fitz and the Tantrums album. If they want to feel something then they won’t be disappointed.