Stand Atlantic - Was Here

Since their debut album ‘Skinny Dipping’, Stand Atlantic have gradually dialled up the noise, increasing their experimentation and slowly embracing their darker side. Their new album, ‘…WAS HERE’, represents the next step on this journey, presenting a band embracing existential angst with clenched fists, fire in their bellies, and maniacal grins.

‘…WAS HERE’ flies out of the traps as Bonnie Fraser’s vocal soars over the top of an ominous, pulsating backdrop in ‘WAKE UP, SIT DOWN, SHUT UP’, and it’s these massive moments that symbolise how far the band have come over the last six years, with ‘KISSIN’ KILLER COBRAS’ and ‘WARZ0NE’ continuing the theme with cathartic screams and heavy distortion. Their pop-punk roots are still heavily influential, with the bouncy, shiny ‘LOVE U ANYWAY’ and the tumultuous relationship described in ‘G.A.G’ carrying with them the slow build and quick breakdown that always gets their crowds jumping.

It wouldn’t be a Stand Atlantic album if they didn’t try new things, though. For the most part, these risks pay off, especially in searing tirade ‘GIRL$ (ft. PVRIS and Bruses)’ and headbang-worthy ‘CRIMINAL (ft. Polaris)’. Drummer Jonno Panichi’s performance ties the album together, being able to create rise and fall whilst maintaining a clear determination and driving the project forward.

There are places where song structure feels slightly muddled, or where maybe too much has been thrown at one idea, but that underlines the band’s desire to constantly transform, not content with reproducing the same chord progressions and catchy choruses that made them stalwarts of the scene. It’s an album full of daring desire from arguably the biggest and best that Australian pop-punk has to offer.