ONLY THE POETS // AND I’D DO IT AGAIN
Emotional self-awareness as pop architecture — introspective, intentional, and quietly fearless.
⭐⭐⭐⭐(4.5/5)
Only The Poets have never behaved like a band content with momentum alone. Their latest record And I’d Do It Again, feels like a victory lap more than a mere new album; it is about what worked, what hurt and what broke – and why it was still worth it. Starting with the album title, there is no defiance or romance; it suggests hindsight, cost analysis and acceptance. It’s theme is about mistakes that happened, how we understand them, and knowing well enough to not repeat the pattern (or not).
The sound is not groundbreaking, but it is the most intentional Only The Poets have never sounded. Earlier releases leaned heavily on immediacy, with big choruses and emotional hooks. This time, the band pulls back just enough to let structure and beat do all the talking, with broader influences such as clean guitar lines, elastic bass movement, rhythm and hooks that make you feel like you are stuck in a nostalgic summer memory, and a production that is all about impact. The genre does not change much, but the architecture of the sound is different; the band trusts the listener to swing to the rhythm, to mouth the lyrics, to close their eyes and get lost in it. They do not need to impress, they just want to engage.
Lyrically, And I’d Do It Again is the soundtrack behind every heartbreak, every relationship and every love adventure. It is not about positioning oneself as a hero or a villain, but about recognising patterns, relationship pitfalls and mistakes, as well as feeling nostalgic about what was and what could have been. Only The Poets teach us that relationships don’t always end with fireworks and a ‘happy ever after’, but with unresolved logic, lack of closure, and emotional wreckage. Equally, they don’t always end badly. Songs like ‘Sake’ (which has a very catchy beat), and ‘You Hate That I’m In Love’ are also about moving on from a nice memory, with owned responsibility and acceptance.
Album Artwork
All the songs speak openly about love, loss, mental health and emotional resilience, but the point of each song is to give voice to a generation unafraid to feel deeply. The lyrics are lived experiences, not just stories. In ‘Thinking Bout Your Ex’, Only The Poets offer a cinematic spiral built on spacious 90s R&B textures, dissecting post-breakup comparison and jealousy and confronting insecurities. ‘Keep On Messing It Up’ is the album’s thesis: it centres on self-sabotage not as a flaw to be fixed, but as something to be recognised. The music is restless and the lyrics mirror the inability to settle; equally, ‘Hate That I’m In Love’ reinforces that love is inconvenience, and the music lacks warmth but is full of frustration. ‘Madeleine’ and ‘And I’d Do It Again’ are the ballad-y and slower tracks we all need to take a break, where the closure is awaited but not offered. ‘Sake’, ‘Bad’ and ‘Freeze’ on the opposite are the body-shakers; the ones that are more upbeat, drive-into-the-sunset-and-sing-out-loud-in-the-car type of songs. The ones where release is offered, and very much needed. Finally, ‘God Knows Where You Were’ and ‘Keep Messing It Up’ are the counterweights to the record’s heavier introspections, introducing tenderness and a breather from the heaviness and the screaming.
Rather than chasing catharsis through drama, Only The Poets’ And I’d Do It Again offers something rarer: emotional literacy and calculation, where love is examined, mistakes are catalogues and patters are acknowledged. The result is not an album that shows growth as transformation but as understanding. What makes this album relevant is alignment with the band’s wider initiatives in the music scene: treating accessibility as part of their identity, offering low-cost ticket initiatives (such as the £1 gig at O2 Brixton), support for grassroots creatives and collaborations with Nikon to give photographers access to their shows. It is a musical statement of their visible effort to raise awareness and set a precedent. This is Only The Poets consolidating who they are: musically broader, emotionally sharper, ethically consistent.
Only The Poets - Image via Chuff Media
It’s an album that understands repetition isn’t always failure—and that sometimes the most honest answer to “would you change it?” is no, even when you know better. For fans of The 1975’s indie-pop flair, Nothing But Thieves’ vulnerability and cinematic production, Blossoms’ clean and nostalgic hooks and Circa Waves’ upbeat songs, as well as Twenty One Pilots’ emotional honesty – Only The Poets got you. And if you want to hear these songs live, check out these album release events:
· 30 January – Manchester Club Academy
Live show followed by album signing
· 31 January – Reading All-Dayer
A full-day hometown takeover including Battle of the Bands at Purple Turtle, a full live show at 3sixty, album signing, pop-up shop, Q&A, and additional events throughout the day
· 1 February – Southampton
Album signing in partnership with Vinilo
· 2 February – O2 Academy Brixton
Headline show + afterparty (SOLD OUT)
· 4 February – Birmingham HMV
Album signing followed by an acoustic performance
REVIEW BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
