Enter Shikari’s ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’ is a scathing critique of modern society set against upbeat music. It is a politically charged album that criticizes the ruthless capitalist world and the feelings of alienation and dread that come with living in such a world. The music that accompanies this theme is a mixture of rock, pop, electronica, and even some rap.
As its central theme is a critique of modern society, vocalist Rou Reynolds expresses his fear of the future of humanity in the first song, “The Great Unknown”. It’s a synth-heavy track merged with a rock-centric chorus. The subsequent tracks build upon and explain the fears mentioned in this song.
The album’s single “The Dreamer’s Hotel” is a great example of the band’s songwriting skills. Rou Reynolds demonstrates his knack for making words rhyme. The song is about how people today are divided by the opinions they share online. Social media is a soapbox for all kinds of subject matter like politics or the environment. People with opposing views are usually dismissed as trolls. There is no room for mature debate or nuance. In this song, the dreamer’s hotel is a place where people can peacefully coexist. However, it is empty because people would rather argue than listen to one another.
The band has also experimented with different instruments- “Waltzing Off The Face of The Earth(1. Crescendo”) features a brass band and “Elegy For Extinction” has an orchestral arrangement. There are many songs that have grim lyrics juxtaposed with poppy hooks, like “The Dreamer’s Hotel”, “Modern Living”, “T.I.N.A”, “Satellites”, and “The King”. There are also dubstep-like wobbles and drops on several songs, like “Apocaholics Anonymous” and “The King”. “Marionettes I and II” are the most danceable songs on the album. They could be something you’d listen to at a club. The lyrics on songs like “Modern Living” explain how capitalism has tied our sense of purpose and self-worth to it. “The King” is about the protagonist’s declining self-esteem as he is not successful anymore. According to the album, productivity seems to be the most important purpose of a capitalist society.
Overall, this album is overstimulating party music with a serious concept. It is as electronic as it is rock. The album expresses disdain for capitalism and explains how the system has affected our relationship with ourselves and others. It has also changed our very sense of reality. Nothing really matters, nothing is true, and anything is possible.
