Atlas are a five-piece from Scotland who sound, to me anyway, like a less poppy and more Scottish You Me At 6. ‘Red Lines’ suggests the band are very, very competent at all aspects of being a band. I like Paul McWhinnie’s very obvious accent when he sings and I like the fact the guitars do not just follow the basic chord progressions of many band’s of a similar ilk. The songs are well crafted, cleverly constructed and well produced. Atlas sound slick, if nothing else.
The songs on this record are all pretty good. They all stick out for being well written, although I didn’t really remember any of them after I’d stopped listening. ‘Battlefields’ is a very good song, but I think lacks a slightly stronger melody, something that will burrow into your brain and really take hold. Like compatriots To Catch A Thief, Atlas are a very interesting and exciting prospect. At this stage I’d have them down as ones to watch rather than ‘ones who are already there’, simply because this EP isn’t catchy or punchy enough to really stand out. That said, the band are on the right lines and I look forward to what they plan next.