Twin Atlantic - GLA

Rating:

They said they wanted to change things and change things they have.

They said they wanted to change things and change things they have. Despite the popular singles of ‘Great Divide’, it always felt like something was missing from the 2014 release and now, throwing caution to the wind and ditching their conscious attempts to make festival-headlining hits, Twin Atlantic’s new release sounds grittier and more natural.

‘I Am Alive’ is a rock and roll banger, driven by synths and heavy guitars. It’s the stadium rock of Kasabian and a world away from the pop rock the band are known for, while ‘Whispers’ has a touch of Biffy about it with varying vocal sounds, forceful drums, and a long, bleak outro. ‘The Chaser’ draws influence from foot-stomping 70s bands and ‘Ex El’ even starts to sound like Arcade Fire. Loosening the reins a little has given the guys some songwriting freedom and wow, it sounds good.

With musical freedom has come an unexpected diversion in lyrics (the strangest opening line prize goes to “suck this lemon” from ‘Valhalla’) so don’t be surprised if you find yourself asking, “what did he just sing?” The opener’s called ‘Gold Elephant Cherry Alligator’: just go with it.

For a softer moment, ‘A Scar To Hide’s layered with soft strings and a singalong chorus but gone are the brooding, lighters in the air ballads we’ve come to know. The massive arena moments all come from the monster choruses of the loudest songs: ‘Overthinking’ and ‘No Sleep’ are going to cause a ruckus at the live dates later this year.

It’s a complete U turn for Twin Atlantic who have already gone from young rock band to stars of the radio. You might not believe it was them if it wasn’t for Sam McTrusty’s unmistakeable Scottish twang but the hits are still there. Kathryn Black