Album Review: Hello MY NAME IS by ALLDEEPENDS

Ever since catching one of ALLDEEPENDS’ first sets at Book Yer Ane Fest in Dundee at the end of 2019 I’ve been excitedly awaiting them to release something. The three piece, who met at Conroy’s Basement in Dundee attending Make-That-A-Take shows, blew me away with their unique style of punk rock incorporating folk, punk and hardcore and I came away from BYAF telling everyone about this fantastic band I had discovered. Throughout the early part of 2020 the band began to release videos in support of their upcoming debut EP named Hello MY NAME IS on Make-That-A-Take Records. I couldn’t wait to review it. So much so that I let it jump to the front of my review list.

The EP fittingly begins with the first song that ALLDEEPENDS ever released – SOPHT (An Homage To Aesop’s Tuff). The track opens with a simple guitar riff that actually fills you with energy before the vocals come in. I was very pleased that the 7” arrived with a lyrics sheet as the band’s lead vocalist sings extremely quickly and the song is very wordy. I loved this though as it adds something so different a lot of modern punk rock music. I was so impressed with how he managed to keep this tempo up throughout the song – I can barely keep up when I’m reading the lyrics. The song is about how stupid it is to put on a front that you’re always some kind of tough guy and pushing down your more emotional needs. What an introduction to ALLDEEPENDS! The second song is titled Is That Your Walking Distance Or Mine? This track is about struggling to live two different lives – the first as your true punk rock self and the second as the “normal” working type. There’s a marching-like melody to the track that makes you feel like it’s taking you somewhere which is, I guess, the point given the title of the song.

Side B of the 7” begins with the song I Paid For My College Education, I’m Going To Fucking Use It. After an amusing introduction with a sample of somebody saying they’re never going to pay back their student loan, the song jumps into a rowdy punk rock banger. The track is about using your university education and not being ashamed by that. I hope that you worked that out from the title though. Throughout the song, the band’s singer uses many scientific terms that I really don’t understand – even after googling them. I am super impressed with how he manages to use them all in a song and still make it sound like punk rock sing-along. Last up is You Can Never Have Too Many Black T-Shirts. This was the other track that the band released in the build up to the EP’s release. It felt very fitting during these times of no gigs due to COVID-19 and lockdown. It’s about the scene, the friendships you make and the feeling of going to watch live bands. The lyric “when I see you again, I’ll sing the words right back at your face” were particularly apt. Gigs mean so much to us all and hearing a song like this really helps to remember the good times we used to have and will have again.

I expected big things from Hello MY NAME IS and ALLDEEPENDS blew all of those expectations out of the water. For a first release, the band have set the bar extremely high but I can only see them getting better and better. I’m really hoping that, when we’re allowed to do fun things again, the band can find their way down to London so I can see them again. ALLDEEPENDS are the best new band of 2020.

Pre-order Hello MY NAME IS on Bandcamp here.

Like Make That A Take Records on Facebook here.

(ALLDEEPENDS do not have Facebook… yet.)

This review was written by Colin Clark.