Middle of the road pop rock bands are ten a penny in 2017. Pop down any supermarket and you’ll probably find the likes of You Me At Six, Twin Atlantic and Young Guns clogging up the “rock” section (don’t be offended – it’s basically anything that has an instrument with six strings on it). The point is, what do you have to do to make yourself standout? The best bands in this genre (ahem, Deaf Havana) are making music that can still maintain the band’s integrity while riding the waves of mainstream radio play.
So what do Lower Than Atlantis have in their locker? They’ve paid their dues and have steadily worked their way up the festival lineup ladder while also managing to pull themselves out of the toilet circuit. Now, Brixton Academy is on the cards and the band are fully loaded, ready to see if they can elevate themselves any further.
The singles that have been in circulation for many weeks and months showcase the band at the top of their game. ‘Work For It’ is undoubtedly the stand out track of the record. Having already made its debut during the summer of 2016, it encapsulates what this band are and why they’re still here on their fifth studio album, gaining more fans and gathering momentum. It’s just a shame that the rest of the album isn’t quite there.
The problem is the good tracks are harder to take notice of because they all sound fairly similar, meaning the bad songs stand out even more. ‘Boomerang’ is a prime example, desperately trying to be a Don Broco style soundtrack to an 18-year old lad’s holiday to Kavos. All the fishbowls in Zante, however, won’t save this song from being slow, repetitive and generally irritating.
On the plus side, the low points are few and far between. For the most part this is a good record and Mike Duce is one of the stand out vocalists in the British rock scene at this point in time. Album closer ‘A Night To Forget’ is a future alternative club night anthem as it’s catchy, upbeat and sure to be a staple in their live set in the future. If it isn’t, it should be. Honourable mention goes to ‘I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore’ which breathes fresh air into the album towards the end as it slowly weaves its way between soulful lyrics and beautifully textured instrumentation.
Brixton Academy will sell, the tents will pack out, and Lower Than Atlantis can expect this record to take them to the next tier. However, on reflection the band should pick up on the warning sign that this album screams: don’t fall into a trap of remaking the same track 10 times. That’s not writing a record, it’s flogging a dead horse.
In no way will this go down in history as a decade definer, that much is true. But, as a snapshot of where this band are at this moment in time, it does their career justice. Just leave the Daft Punk-esque autotune vocals at home next time.
WILLIAM SCOTT