March 21st, 2014 
Troy Sennett 
Artist: The Year Fifteen
Album: As A World Entire
Genre: Indie Rock
You may not know Billy Duprey by name, but if you’re a regular reader of this website, there’s a good chance you’ve heard his music. The producer and multi-instrumentalist plays keyboard in The Republic of Wolves, whose latest album, No Matter How Narrow, was a big hit around these parts late last year, but As A World Entire finds Duprey striking out on his own (with a little help from his friends). His debut release under the moniker of The Year Fifteen features a slew of guest musicians, including the other members of TROW, and it is the perfect record for the long-overdue spring season – serene and calming, yet bursting with emotion and life.
The origins of As A World Entire date back to 2008, and the time Duprey has put into The Year Fifteen is evident throughout the album. The songs are meticulously composed and recorded, with layers of guitars and keyboards setting the stage for Duprey’s warm croon. Sonically, tracks like “Sweater, Half Open” and “Objectivity,” the latter of which features a guitar solo by TROW’s Christian Van Deurs, would feel right at home on No Matter How Narrow, but other songs push further into pop territory. The bubbling synthesizers and soaring refrain of “With An English Smile,” for instance, could easily be the lighter-waving conclusion of an outdoor festival.
Duprey’s production holds the pieces of As A World Entire together, and nowhere is that more apparent than on the album’s title track and centerpiece. The six-minute song features the album’s densest sections as well as some of its most bare, but both come across as equally spacious and clear. The same is true across the album: From the keyboard flourishes of “Patience” to the slow build of “Evening Conversations,” the production contributes to a feeling of growth and rebirth that makes As A World Entire an ideal spring album. The theme is reflected in the lyrics of tracks like “Out of Sync,” which finds Duprey getting his life back on track after a long period of disorder. Even when melancholy sets in on the closing number, Duprey’s melodies remain so light and airy that lines like “If I had the answers, you can fucking bet that I’d keep them to myself” still manage to offer a glimpse of hope.
The only downside of As A World Entire is that it’s almost too easy to let it slip into the background. The atmosphere is so relaxed that even the album’s most upbeat tracks lack the punch to break up the listening experience. Even so, there is still more than enough going on to satisfy the attentive listener. As A World Entire is an impressive feat for such a young musician – the release date happens to be Duprey’s twenty-third birthday – and it’s well worth checking out for fans of The Republic of Wolves and newcomers alike.
SCORE: 8.5/10
Review written by Troy Sennett (follow him on Twitter)
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