A distinct identity is something Twin Atlantic have always struggled to find. From the Biffy Clyro-esque idiosyncrasies of their early efforts to the arena rock of 2014’s ‘Great Divide’, their only quirk has often been the uncompromising Scottish twang of lead singer Sam McTrusty.
Essentially, there are far more bands that Twin Atlantic sound like than bands that sound like Twin Atlantic. Their fourth full-length, ‘GLA’, shows that some progress has been made in redressing this imbalance, though. No-nonsense hard rock is what McTrusty and the gang are going for here and, having pooled their efforts with returning producer Jacknife Lee, they kind of pull it off.
The riff-replete No Sleep attempts to display the band’s raw energy, while pop-rock stomper The Chaser is the kind of track you might bob along to after a drink or two. Although not all of the more upbeat tracks on offer here come across as well as these two, it’s easy to imagine many of them translating nicely into a live setting.
One big problem remains, though. Twin Atlantic can’t seem to avoid stumbling down the road leading to rock ‘n’ roll clichés.
As a result, A Scar To Hide is a paint-by-numbers acoustic ballad complete with piano and strings and opener Gold Elephant: Cherry Alligator is a pseudo-edgy romp that serves little purpose other than to signpost the direction the band have decided to pursue for this release.
What we have so far, then, is a mix of slightly above average alt-rock songs and some that are really quite forgettable. But ‘GLA’ also has a smattering of real quality. Ex El, for example, opens with a layer of pulsing synths complemented by a sliding guitar lead and, although it doesn’t take long for the track to warp into something a bit more typical, it’s evidence of what the band can create when they think a little outside the box. It’s just a shame that these moments are few and far between.
For the most part, Twin Atlantic appear so concerned with what rock should sound like that they don’t take time to consider what it could sound like. The result is an album that may be initially satisfying, but one that will ultimately fail to leave an indelible mark.
Twin Atlantic Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri October 07 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE University
Sun October 09 2016 - CARDIFF University Y Plas
Tue October 11 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Wed October 12 2016 - LONDON O2 Forum
Fri October 14 2016 - PORTSMOUTH Pyramids
Sat October 15 2016 - LEEDS Beckett University Union
Sun October 16 2016 - NORWICH UEA The Waterfront
Sat December 10 2016 - DUBLIN Academy
Sun December 11 2016 - BELFAST Limelight
Tue December 13 2016 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Wed December 14 2016 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Thu December 15 2016 - GLASGOW Barrowland
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