Twin Atlantic-Free
Glasgow's youthful rockers Twin Atlantic have been steadily making waves for the past two years now. Debut mini-album "Vivarium" was rich in quality, comprising anthems like 'What is Light? Where is Laughter?' and 'You're Turning into John Wayne' and offering something exciting and fresh while sounding precociously massive for a band in its infancy. With this under their belts the band were swift to secure an overwhelming list of impressive support slots, the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance and Biffy Clyro among them, and then, firing diligently on all live cylinders, secured a firm and ever-growing fanbase. Standing at the door of greatness, could the band use all this success and pour it into creating a debut album that would gloriously present all their talent to the masses. The answer is, of course, a resounding yes.
"Free" is an unreservedly brilliant debut, absolutely all killer and no filler, and comprises thirteen songs that feel like they all should be there having been carefully refined to their full potential. 'Edit Me' has a bouncing riff and wonderfully defiant 'you can't edit me, no, no, no!' refrain and is a perfect way to kick the album off in style, from them on it's highlights aplenty; soaring anthem 'Time To Stand Up' has one of the best intros you'll hear all year, 'Dreamember' has a groovy bass-line that is pure dance before it spreads its wings and a euphoric chorus appears and 'Crash Land' is a beautifully restrained piece of songwriting that paints an intriguing picture of loss and heartache.
The album has a real eclecticism and it's great to lucidly hear that the band are never ones to sit still or rest on their laurels, pulling off every experiment perfectly, as a result a bruised anthem with a slight bluesy twang like 'Eight Days' can sit alongside the snaking and nervous early Biffy Clyro-esque banger 'The Ghost of Eddie' seamlessly. Finally, and perhaps best of all, is the musicianship that structures the album. Everything can only be described as incendiary, despite all the songs standing up as full-throated sing-a-long anthems, Sam McTrusty and Barry McKenna's laser-sharp guitar work and interplay is so unusual, individual and powerful that it could be enjoyably listened to on its own, Ross McNae and Craig Kneale's rhythm section is an unbreakable foundation, both masterfully-placed cello and piano give the record a real sense of identity and McTrusty's impassioned voice soars above it all, the band are therefore both invincibly tight and highly endearing.
This is an inventive and daring debut album that pays off so vastly from all the risks it takes that it should take the band deservedly straight to the very forefront of new British rock music.