Lower Than Atlantis - Safe In Sound (Album Review)
Tuesday, 07 February 2017
Written by Liam Turner
The tail end of the 2000s gave birth to a crop of once abrasive alt-rock bands that can now be heard regularly on daytime Radio 1. Lower Than Atlantis are among the leading lights to have invaded mainstream airspace and ‘Safe In Sound’ is their latest attempt to perfect the fusion of hard rock and poppy commercialism.
There’s no question they’ve managed to strike that balance here. Hard and soft dynamics are expertly utilised throughout - perhaps most notably on Work For It, a cut that even Kurt Cobain would be proud of. And there’s enough bite to Mike Duce’s acerbic lyrics to counter his increasingly melodious bark on the likes of Boomerang and Could Be Worse, too. The real question, though, is whether the careful maintenance of that balance makes for a good record.
In truth, Lower Than Atlantis have have come quite a way since their post-hardcore beginnings, starting with the release of 2012’s ‘Changing Tune’.
The band have swapped raw recording for polished production, personal lyrics for blanket statements and replaced their hard-rock edge with a more mainstream appeal. But, although the decision may have won them wider recognition, it hasn’t really done much for the evolution of their sound.
In fact, ‘Safe In Sound’ proves to be quite an apt title, as the record is virtually indistinguishable from their preceding self-titled release. You needn't go any further than opener and lead single Had Enough for your suspicions to be aroused: it’s essentially a carbon copy of Here We Go, the opener from last time around.
Even when ‘Safe In Sound’ does differ from its predecessor, it’s only because of its lack of epic arena-fillers. Sure, Work For It and A Night To Forget have a go with their upbeat tempos and singalong choruses, but there’s nothing here that’s on the scale of Criminal or English Kids in America. Granted, bigger doesn’t always mean better, but in this case it might have been.
Lower Than Atlantis Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu March 09 2017 - NORWICH Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA
Fri March 10 2017 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sat March 11 2017 - MANCHESTER Academy
Mon March 13 2017 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Tue March 14 2017 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Wed March 15 2017 - GLASGOW O2 ABC Glasgow
Fri March 17 2017 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Sat March 18 2017 - CARDIFF Cardiff University Students Union
Click here to compare & buy Lower Than Atlantis Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
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