The keen reader might remember American musician and troubadour Michael Wu from a feature we published a few weeks back, celebrating ‘Better Way’ as “making good use of indie and pop influences, a record that’s bright and playful, potentially geared towards a wider audience.” We stand behind our words; Wu’s artistic output is inherently unique, yet largely familiar. It’s a mysterious dualism that largely arises from the vast pool of influences the project is drawing from. Be it legendary acts such as R.E.M., new wave heroes like Johnny Marr, or modern indie foes, the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, for instance.
A multi-instrumentalist, although often seen on bass, Michael Wu takes all of that eclectic concoction of bands and artists and distils it down to a functional formula, one that serves to mainly sustain the project’s nuanced and observant lyricism. ‘All Over’ continues to evolve that very same ethos, uncovering another piece of the puzzle taken from Wu’s upcoming EP ‘The Other Side’. In the new single, the sonic energy is a tad less explosive than its predecessor, leaning more towards pop and a deeply melodic character.
Echoing the timely and meaningful storytelling of ‘Better Way’, ‘All Over’ continues the underlying reflection on societal attention and the constant cycle of outrage that often has America in a chokehold. As Wu explains: “The song critiques how easily attention can be hijacked by fleeting controversies and how quickly that cycle becomes exhausting.” Such contemporary imagery is incredibly relatable, and we suspect it will keep being relatable for a long time, unfortunately.
Recommended! Discover ‘All Over’ now: