Becoming staples of the UK rock scene via their anthemic song-writing and gritty riffs, 10 years into their career comes ‘Safe In Sound’ from the Watford 4-piece, and it could be described as their most ambitious release yet.
No longer afraid to toe the rock-music line, Lower Than Atlantis put their roots down in unfamiliar genres of music on ‘Safe In Sound’. ‘Boomerang’ is where the band stray from their sound the most, clearly aiming for an in-your-face pop sound. Whilst the production falls neatly within the pop bracket, the songwriting which aims for that biting hook isn’t quite there, making the track sound forced and lack-lustre. However it’s admirable that the band aren’t afraid to have a go at making straight-up pop music, and there’s loads more great hooks to be found elsewhere within the album.
They definitely flex their song-writing muscles on ‘Could Be Worse’, which begins with emo guitar playing reminiscent of American Football before transforming into a hard-hitting track with a lofty chorus to sing-along to. This track displays what Lower Than Atlantis do best and slots it all together in one neat track, making it a definite highlight of the record and one that’s sure to be listened to over and over again.
Other stand-out songs on the album are of course ‘Had Enough’ and ‘Dumb’, both singles that have been heard before the album’s release, and chosen for good reason. Starting the album off with an explosive riff to signal their arrival, ‘Had Enough’ sets the tone for the album before ‘Dumb’ shifts the mood to a slightly calmer one in the verses until once again a massive chorus hits. Lower Than Atlantis definitely aren’t messing around with this album, making sure each track is a bona-fide hit in its own right.
Traces of their previous material is all but gone on ‘Safe In Sound’ as the band make way for glossy production and genre-spanning tracks, however ‘I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore’ is reminiscent of ‘Another Sad Song’ from their 2011 album ‘World Record’. Mike Duce’s thick, emotive vocals and reflective lyrics take centre stage for the saddest cut from the album, although definitely not the most memorable.
Writing an album with this much range of material within only ten tracks could easily come off as the band throwing anything at the wall and seeing what sticks, but the songs are all so meticulously crafted and stand up on their own outside of the album landscape, and whilst there are some weaker moments relative to the best bits, they’re certainly not bad at all.
Words by Eloise Bulmer