Everything's Eventual is the only studio album by Canadian musical duo Appleton, made up of sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton. It was released on February 24, 2003, through Polydor Records. Three singles were released from the album: "Fantasy", "Don't Worry" and "Everything Eventually". The album and singles performed reasonably well on the UK charts; however, the label thought that 70,000 copies sold was too little for their contract, and this eventually led to Appleton being dropped by Polydor.
Demon Music Group released the first-ever 12-inch vinyl versions of the album on June 17, 2023, to celebrate 20 years since its first release. Purple- and white-coloured versions were pressed with original album art, lyrics and photographs, along with additional unreleased tracks and B-sides.
Contents
Background
Natalie and Nicole Appleton had been part of the successful girl group All Saints from 1996 until the band announced in February 2001 that they were to take a break so that they "could clear the air between themselves". The sisters wanted to continue performing and making music so went into the recording studio to try out some songs, the result being Everything's Eventual. "We created the album ourselves off our own backs so there was no need to change any elements when we signed our new deal. It has just been mixed since we signed to Polydor," the duo said. "We love our All Saints fans and hope we can also attract new fans as our music has developed. We've been enjoying playing around with new ideas in the studio with no limits and it’s a new beginning for us."
The album is named after the Stephen King short story collection Everything's Eventual, since Natalie Appleton is a great admirer of him. The album was initially to be named Aloud but the name was changed to avoid any association with then labelmates Girls Aloud.
Critical reception
In a review for AllMusic, Jon O'Brien wrote that Appleton had "easily surpassed some rather lowly expectations with their debut album." He opined that it "positions [the sisters] as gifted songwriters, with a knack for a strong pop melody", and praised the combination of "shimmering electronica, acoustic pop, and heartfelt understated ballads to produce an eclectic and confident first offering". O'brien described the album as being "at its best [...] when it's at its most introspective", though he went on to write that "Lyrically, they shouldn't be expecting any Ivor Novello nods just yet". A review for Entertainment.ie described Everything's Eventual as "polished and professional, but ultimately far too shallow to care much about one way or the other.", and that the duo "flit from style to style, tackling rock, techno and hip-hop without ever really sounding convincing in any of them." Noting the album's lyrics, the reviewer opined that the Appleton sisters "fail to understand that the mundane details of their domestic routines are of little interest to anyone outside their immediate family circle." A review by Betty Clarke for The Guardian noted that "This debut sees [Appleton] slipping into exotic styles with as much profundity as a new pair of Gucci jeans." Comparing aspects of the album to singers Natalie Imbruglia and Robbie Williams, the writer concluded that "smug Appleton give rock'n'roll wifedom a bad name. Natalie has a good voice [...], but Appleton have too little focus and too much to prove. Paul Taylor for the Manchester Evening News described the album as "[surprisingly] "not half bad.", concluding the review by stating that "OK, they have not exactly reinvented the wheel, but neither is this album the crock it could have been."
Personnel
Adapted from the album's liner notes.
Musicians
Appleton
Natalie Appleton – vocals
Nicole Appleton – vocals
Additional musicians