Batten down the hatches — Twin Atlantic have put out their third studio album. The Glaswegian pop-punk band has been touring together since 2007, and this is their third album release since 2009. Prolific, powerful, and incredibly inventive, this four-piece rock outfit just released Free.
The band follows the path to punk-rock success — powerful guitars, supportive bass, complex drums and rebellious vocals. Like a Scottish Blink-182, Twin Atlantic draws you in with its pop-punk melodies, and keeps you in with surprisingly elaborate lyrics. What makes this album stand out (apart from lead singer Sam McTrusty’s wonderful Scottish accent) is the band’s ability to slow itself down. Most punk bands have difficulty reigning themselves in, which can cause them to lose their intensity throughout the album. Twin Atlantic’s lead guitarist Barry McKenna is also a cellist, and he leads the band into a few slower songs.
Free features simple album art. An eclectic collection of items is arranged on the album cover, with each object representing one of the album’s 13 songs. An old-fashioned computer stands for “Edit Me,” the album’s commanding opener. A model of a Second World War fighter plane is the item for “Crash Land,” a slow, cello-driven ballad of survival and despair. For “Serious Underground Dance Vibes,” the surprising instrumental track in the middle of the album, a small figurine of a ballerina.
Free hits you like an air raid siren, and doesn’t let go of you until the bitter end. Be sure to pick up this album when you see it.