| Review: Grand Atlantic - This is Grand Atlantic |
| Sunday, 16 September 2007 |
 It is always such a lovely thing, when you hear a band for the very first time and all you can think of is how you've never heard anything quite like it before. A breath of fresh air across the current music scene, Grand Atlantic have already managed to make quite an impression on those who have been lucky enough to have discovered even a taster of Australia's finest. Their latest release This Is Grand Atlantic is just one of those albums; traditional yet innovative, with that little dash of their own unique identity, really making it something quite special.
The record kicks off with a wonderfully grandiose Prelude that really is a fine example of modern music at its most beautiful. Although these classical undertones run throughout the whole album, it is Prelude and Wonderful Tragedy that take the chance to flaunt it most. In two heroic tracks, Grand Atlantic produce something which is, I think personally, quite worthy of a place on a James Bond soundtrack (or something similar, perhaps). For a band that manages to range from traditional classics to contemporary clamour within the few seconds left between tracks, it might be easier now to move a little up the scale to the tracks that have a very strong likeness to those classic bands that rocked (and of course rolled) in the nifty nineties. The boisterous Coolite is a track that, in contrast to Prelude, sways very much in the direction of a sound not too dissimilar to the Gin Blossoms and Stone Roses. The strong beats and riffs are matched nicely with those of Until It's Gone, which is another track that is simply laden with laid-back cool. Its upbeat splendour defines the sound of Grand Atlantic, as is demonstrated yet again in Chaos Theory and Missile Crisis; both of which impress with their thoughtful lyrics intertwined with potent melodies. On another level of influence, Grand Atlantic shine brightly in their ability to create music so nicely inspired by others, yet do not fall into the trap of simply reproducing it. There is a definite essence of the Beatles in Burning Brighter and Peace Be with You with their bold use of brass and delicate harmonies. Lovely for listening to when in need of relaxation, Take You for Granted is similar in its traditional style but also gives that little extra something, probably best described as majesty. Right at the far end of the scale live those tracks reminiscent of music from the not-too-distant past. Moth and Rust brightly bubbles with excitement in a way that allows us to enjoy the music knowing full well that the performers are enjoying it every bit as much. Slappin' on the Cuffs explodes into a melodic gem, with particular emphasis on the ending that really gives you a case of the goose bumps. This leaves Smoke and Mirrors and Nice Guys? which, with their equally vibrant nature, are more than capable of cheering up anyone's day. So judging from this blinder of an album, Grand Atlantic have brought something classic yet refreshing to today's music scene, and in the process have proven themselves to be really quite grand indeed. Listen to Coolite taken from the album This is Grand Atlantic Find out more About Grand Atlantic www.myspace.com/grandatlantic www.grandatlantic.org |
