Enter Shikari was a band that was so interesting to dive into for the past few months. Having enjoyed Nothing is True & Everything is Possible, I wanted to hear more, and I was honestly surprised to find out how much more chaotic and not pop-leaning they were back then. The evolution of their sound as a band is something I'm not ready to talk about in length, or fully understand to be honest, but I can definitely talk about their latest iteration.
A Kiss For The Whole World's album cycle actually didn't interest me that much up until the actual release. I didn't click with the singles but I have a feeling I just wasn't in the right listening taste to enjoy it at the time. After the album came out though, it did also take a while to grow on me, so on that account it might not be my favourite album from them ever. It also surprised me a bit that The Void Stares Back and Bull didn't end up here, the former of which I actually liked a lot.
This album is definitely a strong release though, as long as it did take to grow on me. They kept their pop-leaning sensibilities and sprinkled a bare minimum of heaviness, but still covers most of Enter Shikari's sonic ground. It definitely has the spirit of The Spark and Nothing is True & Everything is Possible, especially the newest evolution of electronic interludes, but otherwise it is just a platter of electronic rock. There are some small gripes I have, like the lesser amount of lyrical content and short runtime, but I think it does well to redeem itself in other aspects.
What it lacks in lyrical density, I think it makes up for in sentiment. There are numerous lyrical callbacks to older songs, as well apparently a number of references to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, which is something I definitely wouldn't have caught if I didn't read about it. This album also does have a high density of catchy tracks and great production, although it could come off as overproduced to some. I really do enjoy all their experimentation with the soundscapes and instrumentations, both during the songs and in the postludes. I also personally adore that they're still going with the varied song title lengths and aesthetics that they did on Nothing is True & Everything is Possible, it's a small thing that I love about records when tracklists look unique, makes the record already interesting even before I hear it.
Although it still has space to grow even more on me, I doubt it will beat Nothing is True & Everything is Possible on my personal rankings. Probably a solid second place though, it is actually a great listening experience despite its short length making it feel a bit lacking or incomplete. The fade out of giant pacific octopus swirling off into infinity... almost always catches me by surprise when it becomes silence and I realise the record has already ended. Regardless, a solid output from the band.
Rating: 7/10