London-based singer-songwriter AJ Wander recently released his EP, Take It All (The Works), featuring three varied versions of “Take It All” – the original, a piano version, and a stripped-down version.
” Take It All ” is cathartic about the collapse of a volatile and toxic relationship, Wander explains, “It’s my reasoning with myself, working out why it happened, justifying it, and trying to understand it. Self-therapy through music – a way of me dealing with my emotions.”
Wander’s sound blends pop, folk, and rock elements into striking piano-driven songs, such as his debut single, “Time Out,” which collected more than 4 million streams and appeared on Spotify’s elite playlists’ Home Again’ and “Fresh Finds Pop.’
Growing up in Southeast London, Wander is the son of a pianist. Wander instinctively began to sing, play, and write music with an ever-present variety of instruments close at hand. Poignant and full of expressive heartache, the lyrics of “Take It All” mirror the universal devastation brought on by lost love.
“As I stare into the edge of our disaster / I falter at the finish line / I’m stuck inside the prism of the past / It comes and goes / It comes and goes / Tired of chasing fairytale forever afters / Cos’ I heard they were just a lie.”
Beginning with the stripped-down version, riding a gentle piano, the song highlights Wander’s evocative and melancholic voice, imbuing the lyrics with intense passion. Sweeping strings add to the tune’s sad redolence, enhancing the depth of hurting sensation.
The piano version reflects the starkness of Wander’s inner emotional turmoil, his attempt to understand the demise of love. The original version opens on skipping percussion, followed by rumbling drums and extensive strings. As the music gathers potency, the layers of leitmotifs infuse the song with mounting energy.
Heavy with the intense emotions of AJ Wander’s probing quest for comprehension, Take It All (The Works) is marvellously fashioned and compelling.
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