Out of all the Punktastic Recordings alumni, it’s my personal belief that Atom Gang are the most underrated. When they released “I See”, Said The Blind Man late in 2008, I declared it my album of the year. The songs took unexpected turns that resulted in them finishing as far away as possible from where they began, and it was something of a lyrical masterpiece – the whole affair was a real adventure.
With this new three track EP, it’s business as usual then. Ellis Slater‘s vocals are still dripping in sarcasm and bitterness, while the musical arrangement is as awkward as it is infectious. ‘The Death Of Us’ has a Dookie-era Green Day feel to it, while ‘Honey Chase The Dragon’ is genuinely spine-chilling with it’s ghostly ‘woo ooh’ backing vocals. ‘A Hungry Burn’ is more of a straight-up rock ‘n roll number, that dives between its ludicrously catchy chorus and darker verses with such a fervent speed, it leaves you exhausted by the time it’s done.
The thing that separates Atom Gang from most other acts around today, is the sheer variety of sound and emotion they manage to lay down in a single song. They’re as poppy as they are unconventional, and this little three track EP encapsulates the band’s ability to cover such a vast musical ground. I genuinely believe that in the right hands, Atom Gang could be huge – here’s to this EP falling into them.
Andy R
Download We Are The Formula EP for FREE from http://atomgang.bandcamp.com