Will Joseph Cook captures the quirkiness of life on ‘Every Single Thing’

Recommended Tracks: “Little Miss”, “BOP”, “Guaranteed”
Artists You May Like: Arlie, Briston Maroney, Rex Orange County

When you look up Will Joseph Cook on Spotify, you find that his bio reads, Heya, I’m Will. My high school careers advisor told me I would die alone if I chose to be a musician. Here are all my songs. Scrolling through his songs, it is evident that this advisor was sorely mistaken, as there are streaming numbers in the millions. Will’s incredible ability to write music that would fit in perfectly with your next favorite rom-com has enabled him to thrive in the indie pop scene, with fans who can easily picture themselves in the worlds he creates. For his third studio album, Every Single Thing, Will invites us into an oasis of gummy bears, early morning phone calls, and everything in between, and we are more than happy to indulge.

Part of the album speaks to Will’s romantic side, as we get tracks that dote on the joys of finding the right person and spending time with them. We have playful songs like “Kisses” and “Goofin’ Around,” which detail the fun-loving antics Will and his special someone get into when together. While these love songs have buoyant indie pop productions and lighthearted lyrics, we do feel these more earnest undertones that suggest how important love and affection actually mean to Will. On “BOP,” for instance, he sings, “She said I don’t know much about love / Kinda hate it / But it sells well in the hearts of the young” and “We don’t know much about love / That’s some bullshit,” implying that he is someone who would rather take a chance on love than watch it pass by.

Still, even though he is fond of a good romance, Will knows that there can be consequences. On the bittersweet “Today, It’s Raining,” Will wishes he could be with his girl. As he comments on the dreary weather outside, he sings, “Though I long for yesterday / Bluer skies and months of May / Tonight, do me right / Let me dream of her.” There is also “The Feels,” which finds Will regretting the way things ended in a relationship. Over lively percussion, he sings, “Sorry for walking out without explaining” and “We had something real.” In the end, he realizes that more could have been done, which hits him right in his feels.

While the melodies, hooks, and vocals are sure to stick with you from song to song, the visuals that Will constructs with his words are just as engaging. On the opening track, “Little Miss,” which features the album title in its lyrics, Will gives the objects in his house various personalities. He mentions pillows that talk and hold conversations or books that are jealous of all the attention he gives to his new “miss,” finding a unique way to sing about this relationship. Prompting more abstract imagery, however, is the closing track, “Guaranteed.” Will relays thoughts that relate to life and death on this folksy, retro track, the production adding to the beauty of lines like “We find ourselves among the stars / Asking questions in the dark” and “What the hell is love about? / The kind that hurts to live without?” With such a variety of detail, we can fully recognize where Will is trying to take us.

All in all, Every Single Thing gives us a solid narrative of a young adult trying to thrive. He can make us sigh out of affection with tracks like “Gummy” or run to grab tissues with others like “Easy, Undone” or “4AM,” depicting how up and down life can be. Adding to the overall value of each song are the unique descriptions of outfits or facial expressions that Will puts in the lyrics. With such attention to detail, Will gives us “every single thing” that makes life so fascinating or peculiar or awkward, and we are grateful that he was able to set it to such cool music.