Nearly three years after the release of their highly acclaimed self-titled album that included the smash hit song, “Handclap,” pop band Fitz and the Tantrums return with their newest studio effort aptly titled, “All the Feels.” Clocking in at slightly over fifty-two minutes with seventeen songs makes it the band’s longest album to date. The promotion and anticipation for the album’s release have been a long time coming. The first single from the album, “123456,” had been released about six months before the album, along with a few other singles leading up to its release.

The flow of the album gets off to an upbeat start right away, beginning with “All the Feels”, the album’s title track. Singer Michael Fitzpatrick (also known as Fitz) sets up the tone for with album with the initial lines, “We’re out here chasin’ a feelin’. Up high, down low. We go from the floor to the ceilin’.” The large vocal presence from Fitz, as well as co-lead vocalist Noelle Scaggs, is dominant throughout the rest of the track, especially in the ensuing choruses.

One of the most unique aspects of Fitz and the Tantrums is that the band essentially has two lead vocalists. Unlike most bands, however, they do not alternate parts. Often both Fitz and Scaggs sing together in harmony. Specifically, the songs “123456,” “I Just Wanna Shine,” and “I Need Help!,” have this perfectly on display. It is this aspect that makes these songs accessible and gives it a sing-along quality. In that initial stretch of the album, these energetic songs with catchy melodic hooks drive it forward. 

While all the songs are stylistically upbeat for the most part on the album, the band also sequences it well with a few songs that provide a nice change of pace. Songs such as “Don’t Ever Let ‘Em,” “Stop,” and “Dark Days,” slow things down a bit and provide a slightly more reflective feeling. Fitz provides several lyrics to make the listener think about how one could take all sorts of emotions, positive or negative, and keep moving forward with them. In “Stop” he sings, “Take the good, the bad, and let it hit you like that. Can we do it all again?” 

Fitz and the Tantrums are often described as being a pop band, but throughout the songs on “All the Feels,” the band touches upon several different sounds, genres, and styles. One constant sound heard throughout the album is the usage of keyboards, which provide the foundation for the songs. Several instruments are used by the band to build overtop of that. Specifically, multi-instrumentalist provides many of these sounds with saxophone, flute, and guitar. 

Even within songs, the band utilized different stylings. This is best on display on the song “Belladona,” where the song starts with acoustic guitar and a rock-type drum fill, and then goes into a breakdown with dance beats and synths. From the slick pop sounds of “123456” to the soul influence of “I Just Wanna Shine”, to the Latin-influenced rhythms of “SuperMagik,” the band covers a wide variety of sounds that can appeal to anybody.

Like most of Fitz and the Tantrums’ music, it is an album that one could easily crank up and have fun listening to. The band will look to bring these songs to life in the concert setting when the hit the road in February 2020 for a tour to support the album. The closest the band will be coming to Buffalo is in Niagara Falls, Ontario on February 22 at the Avalon Theatre.