Formed in the humidity of St. Augustine, Florida in 2015 – Justin Pritchard, Ben Bennett, Nick Shoaf, and Patrick Drury make up Kid You Not. This band didn’t hit my radar until I put a previous album of theirs, Home Again, in a monthly Punk Box. Since then, I’ve been combing their catalogue and I was pleased to be asked to review their latest release, Here’s to Feelin’ Good All the Time.
Put out in October of 2022, the album starts out strong with “I Am Who I Am and I Wish I Weren’t” and stays true to their old school Hot Water Music meets new school Iron Chic sound. Hitting heavy with those emo laden lyrics, this song is oddly comforting knowing that others experience those intrusive thoughts that are loud enough to wake you from slumber.
Need a melody that will get stuck in your head for the rest of the day? “Fire Sale” will provide you with just that. After the initial vocal blast and guitar intro – Drury’s voice croons the first verse before lifting back off again with the chorus. And that bridge was definitely the best off of the album. I loved the contrast of how this song starts out abrasive and in your face, but concludes with a slow and gentle fade.
The album closes with its namesake, “Here’s to Feelin’ Good All the Time.” Again with the contrast, but this time in reverse. After a beautiful introduction, that could have been found on any of The Get Up Kids albums in the late ’90’s, it transforms into a sort of fight song for the downtrodden. Singing along with lyrics like “just this once, we’ll stop this before it breaks” and “we won’t look back, we won’t regret” will give you the confidence boost that you need to keep moving forward regardless of the situation that you are facing.
It’s difficult to start and end an album on an equally strong note, but this band has done just that. If you’re looking for an album that satisfies your need for heavy guitar riffs entwined amongst some soul shaking lyrics – your search is finally over with Kid You Not’s latest.
Breezy McMullen is the Editor in Chief at PA and Find Out. In addition to her duties there, she is also a co-owner of Allegedly Records and a founding member of the international co-op, Scene to Scene. When she’s not herding children or musicians, you can find her in the woods or on a lake getting stoned…. probably.