The album cover of ‘Free’ by Twin Atlantic, © Red Bull Records Inc.
Twin Atlantic have shot to success recently, going from a little-known alternative rock quintet to Scottish superstars with sell-out shows, all in a matter of a few months! However, upon listening to the band’s debut album ‘Free’, such immense popularity is unsurprising. Twin Atlantic are a band with a lot to say, and their youthful energy and passion for music shines through in an album which, in my opinion, will have a significant impact on the rock scene.
So, without further ado, here’s my track-by-track comprehensive review of the fantastic ‘Free'...
Edit Me – The album begins with the squeals and whirs of guitar feedback, before an explosion of distorted, grungy guitars and bass kick off ‘Edit Me’ with a bang! The track is firmly rooted in the straightforward spirit of rock and roll, with its unwavering intense emotions and strong message. As Sam McTrusty shouts “They say it comes with age, we can prove them wrong... you can’t edit me” Twin Atlantic make clear their vision and their place in music. They’re young, they’re fresh, they’re different and they’re out to do things their way.
Time For You To Stand Up – Emerging from the squealing feedback that concludes ‘Edit Me’ comes the welcome sound of yet more genius guitar work. The weaving melody lines and Rise to Remain-esque chordal variations work alongside the relentless, powerful drumbeat to drive the track onwards and upwards towards its loud, aggressive conclusion. And each and every word is just made to sing along to – I challenge anyone to listen to this track without shouting “I don’t think I was talking to you” along with the bridge, because I haven’t managed that one yet!
Apocalyptic Renegade – As with many tracks on ‘Free’, ‘Apocalyptic Renegade’ begins with a placid introduction before giving way to those loud, powerful, driving drums and crunchy, distorted guitars. Each verse builds in power, passion and aggression, and McTrusty again shouts each chorus like there’s no tomorrow! The track lyrically continues the running theme of the album, with statements like “I want it all” and “I can’t get enough” expressing a ‘carpé diem’ attitude easily understood and empathised with by the band’s predominantly young fanbase. Also, the song provides a key example of the expert control over dynamics and moods held by the band, with changes in light and shade emphasising the overall power and passion of the track.
Yes, I Was Drunk - This song shares some notable similarities with ‘Apocalyptic Renegade’. It too starts out slow and calm, and builds up in noise and power throughout. The lyrics – which again are irresistible to sing along to – share the youthful, carefree attitude of the album’s previous songs: “I think I just needed a rush, needed a rush”. However, where ‘Apocalyptic Renegade’ is a straightforward, rock and roll affair, Twin Atlantic seem very experimental on ‘Yes, I Was Drunk’. There are instrumental breaks aplenty, hints of keyboards or synthesizers throughout, and the song ends on some very interesting, haunting guitar sounds. All of these devices display clearly the band’s technical skill and create a captivating piece of music!
Dreamember – A quick warning about this song: the introduction is a nightmare for anyone with headphones! The tranquil guitar melodies quietly pull the listener into the slow, calm dream state that is the very subject of the song, before the drums, bass and vocals explode into the picture with full force! As with ‘Yes, I Was Drunk’, ‘Dreamember’ again shows off the technical ability of the band, with panned guitar lines, reverb and the mysterious mutterings of voices in the background (“Grayscale me, grayscale me, grayscale me...”) creating an intentionally confused, dazed, dream-like atmosphere. The lyrics throughout this song are especially poetic and thought-provoking, evoking the unorthodox philosophies of such media as The Matrix and Inception: “I’ve been dreaming for days, lost in time and sleep as we start to embrace”. It is, in my opinion, the best song on the album lyrically, and musically one of the most interesting and adventurous.
Free – And now for the title track (and one of my personal favourites!) of the album. The piano introduction builds in musical interest and quickens in tempo before being accompanied by soft vocals and guitars. Then, the pre-chorus and chorus again show the band at their best and loudest, with crashing cymbals, screamed lyrics and layer upon layer of guitars and bass which bombard the listener with an intensely fantastic wall of sound. ‘Free’ is another track that is just made for gigs – upon hearing the chorus it’s hard not to imagine a huge, euphoric crowd screaming along to the repeated shouts of “Woah, oh... so I could be free”!
Crash Land – If there's a song that provides a complete contrast to 'Free' on this album, it's ‘Crash Land’! The use of acoustic guitars, orchestral string instruments and soft, subtly emotional vocals show a completely different side to Twin Atlantic, whilst still displaying the musical experimentation explored on tracks like ‘Yes, I Was Drunk’. Of course, the band evidently couldn’t resist some aggression, and towards the end of the song there is a hint of those driving, powerful bass beats, passionate vocals and fast-paced guitar and bass rhythms. The track goes full-circle however, and ends as calm and quiet as it started. Overall, it’s a great song to listen to when you’re in a chilled-out mood and provides a refreshing contrast to the loud, relentless zeal of the previous tracks.
Make A Beast Of Myself – Twin Atlantic do appear to have a fixation with contrasts on this album. As the calming tones of ‘Crash Land’ die away, the fantastic buzz of layers of distorted electric guitars kick off ‘Make A Beast Of Myself’! Yet, even in this relatively bold and noisy track there is a distinct dynamic difference between each verse and chorus. The melodic guitar work, soft drumbeats and funk-filled basslines of the verses, and the choruses full of that anger and passion so common throughout the album, create a track of interesting and varied moods. In fact, the entire album can perhaps be summed up in the final minute of this song: The bridge and final chorus present the band’s signature raw, distorted sound, but sandwiched between the two is a quieter passage which displays the other side of the band’s musical coin and is indicative of the overall changeable feel of the album.
The Ghost of Eddie – And yet again, as the raw feedback of ‘Make A Beast Of Myself’ dies out, Twin Atlantic deliver another dynamic explosion and with it another side to their sound. The atonal chord patterns of 'The Ghost of Eddie', with their simple but emotionally charged rhythms, and the vocals full of a primal, pure rage hark back to the sounds of the early punk explosion of the 1980s. Then, as the song progresses, a Rage Against The Machine influence can be heard, especially in the guitar lines. This very experimental, daring track does present a fusion of genres, but unfortunately the verses, choruses and instrumental breaks seem slightly disjointed and out of place beside each other. In my opinion, therefore, this is perhaps the weakest track of the album, but is nonetheless not without its strengths.
Serious Underground Dance Vibes - This track is very interesting – the instrumental seems to come out of nowhere, and gives the listener another refreshing break after the demanding, emotionally-charged songs preceding it. Twin Atlantic’s indie influence comes through in the clean, delayed guitar lines that introduce the track. These relaxed tones give way to more loud, fast-paced distortion, before returning at the conclusion of the song. The listener is left chilled out and in eager anticipation of the rest of ‘Free’! Overall, ‘Serious Underground Dance Vibes’ is very modern, arty and experimental, and throughout there is an overriding feeling present of a band really having fun with their music – their excitement and passion really shines through.
Eight Days – The excitement and experimental feel of tracks like ‘Serious Underground Dance Vibes’ is continued in ‘Eight Days’. The band makes excellent use of time changes, harmonics, panned guitars and what is perhaps one of the best bass tones ever created. Yet again, such devices really put across an air of dedication and enthusiasm with regards to music. The lyrics – “I want to leave, I want to leave, I want to leave” for example - are not so positive, however! ‘Eight Days’ is probably the epitome of break-up songs, and easy for anyone to relate to who has experiences a failed relationship, which is... well, pretty much everyone.
Wonder Sleeps Here – As the title suggests, ‘Wonder Sleeps Here’ is a track which evokes a sense of wonder throughout. It is a beautiful piece of music, in which all elements of the ensemble work together perfectly. The poetic lyrics themselves are sung with the deep, emotional tenderness that they deserve – “The sun will catch our hope... I start to choke on words that I pre-wrote”. The guitars (which display a clear U2 influence in this track) and placid basslines dance and weave around each other almost hypnotically over the pulsing drums, and the listener is truly taken on a musical journey.
We Want Better, Man – ‘Free’ goes out with a bang with its final track! The guitars, drums, bass and vocals burst in at full power, creating four minutes of pure raw, untamed energy! Just as the first track ‘Edit Me’ emphasises the strength and ambition of Twin Atlantic, ‘We Want Better, Man’ also looks to the future with of course its energy, and inspirational lyrics like “We must all make the stand cos we want better man”. As always, the song does contain some quieter and calmer passages. These work to accentuate the surrounding passion and musical energy of the track as a whole, as well as emphasising the gradual build up to the climatic ending song, and with it the album itself. ‘Free’ ends as it started, with the buzzing and droning of electrical feedback, and despite containing thirteen fantastic tracks it leaves the listener wanting more!
Overall, ‘Free’ is an energetic, fresh and exciting album. It presents Twin Atlantic’s refreshing, experimental attitude to music, is lyrically extremely interesting and inspiring, and displays a masterful control of light, shade and mood. If Twin Atlantic are starting as they mean to go on with this unique, singular debut album, then it is fair to say that they have a long, successful career ahead of them!
...And that concludes my mammoth review of ‘Free’ by Twin Atlantic. This has without a doubt been the longest piece of journalism that I’ve ever written. It’s been a great learning experience for me and I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it!
PsyD
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Coming up next on Superunknown:
- A review of Tenacious D’s new single ‘Rize Of The Fenix’
- A new ‘Track of the Week’ type feature - More details will be revealed soon!
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