Twin Atlantic

Vivarium

Written by: TL on 12/10/2009 14:14:11

Have any of you people ever stopped to think about this: Every single year, Britain is sure as shit going to produce, at the very least one band, who are going to ride from nothing at all, to the lips of everyone, on the back of one utterly irresistible single? "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" ? "Monster" ? "Geraldine" ? "Rock & Roll Queen" ? Are we on the same page here? If you ever listen to radio, then I think we are, and then you may be able to follow me when I proclaim that this year's incarnation of the trend is going to be Twin Atlantic, because the song "You're Turning Into John Wayne", off their debut LP "Vivarium" is simply and undeniably one of those super singles, and you should listen to it right fuckin' now if you haven't already.

However, while the British press is of course all busy wetting itself from the realization that yes, their scene will indeed have a savior again this week (*yawn*), the rest of us have been curious to find out if "Vivarium" would have more to offer than just one catchy single. And I'm going to go ahead and give away the answer immediately by saying yes: it has at least two or three more, and out of an eight track total, that's not too shabby!

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here, so let's just talk about what Twin Atlantic sound like for a spell. The first thing you'll notice is, as is often the case, the vocals. As well as handling the rhythm guitar, frontman Sam McTrusty provides Twin Atlantic with a sharp, extremely Scottish voice, the recognizability of which most other singers can probably only dream of. It's the kind of thing where you'll know it's him from little more than one note of singing, and the kind of thing which will piss as many people off as it will seduce. As for the music, I'm tempted towards calling TA a fusion of everything that's good about anthemic British radio-rock, layered upon loyally included elements from post-hardcore and post-punk. Elements from Biffy Clyro, Snow Patrol and particularly Brigade come to mind when my mind tries to construct their sound, but still, I don't think that completes the picture.

Either way, a soundscape rich on both soaring melodies, chugging distorted riffage, quirky details and huge choruses, can of course not be a bad thing, and like I've insinuated earlier, Twin Atlantic mix those together with success more than once on "Vivarium". Opener "Lightspeed" is another obvious single choice, but other gems like "Where Is Light? Where Is Laughter?" and "Human After All" also leave clear traces in your memory after listening. It further adds to the band's credibility when they depart from cliché romantic lyrics and go for a sharp, opinionated criticism of things both cultural ("You're Turning Into John Wayne") and social ("Human After All").

To conclude things, I guess it's really hard to not buy into the hype that I predict will soon surround Twin Atlantic, because "Vivarium" is a career-maker without question. It may be short, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in consistency, and as far as this scribe is concerned, that quality is far more present here than in many records by previous Brit-rock messiahs. It's impressive to think about just how close it compares to Biffy Clyro's brilliant "Puzzle" (which I under graded by at least a full mark, I know), and it proves that Scotland is becoming more and more of a hot bed for promising young bands. So if you want to be cool, do yourself a favour and get into these guys before your friends do.

8

Download: You're Turning Into John Wayne, Lightspeed, Human After All
For The Fans Of: Biffy Clyro, Brigade, Snow Patrol, Lights Action
Listen: myspace.com/twinatlantic

Release Date 15.09.2009
Red Bull Records

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