Twin Atlantic are back with their third studio album, Great Divide. We have grown to expect big things from the Glaswegian quartet whose music is often branded stadium rock. The full sound of their songs which earns this title is achieved through the many talents of the members.
This is shown in the opening song ‘The Ones That I Love‘, in which Sam McTrusty‘s vocals are joined by nothing but piano and soft, atmospheric percussion. This is a beautiful song and a soft introduction to the album, but definitely leaves you anticipating more, wanting a much more rocky vibe.
‘The Ones That I Love‘ merges seamlessly into the next track, single ‘Heart and Soul‘, bringing in the slightly heavier vibe the opener left you needing. It is clear that the anthemic sound of Twin Atlantic‘s music is something that comes quite naturally to them, as it doesn’t sound like they are trying too hard as it can with some bands. There are very few instruments used in the verses, yet they still contain a rock vibe, cemented in the catchy chorus where the rhythm of the drums and simple guitar are bound to have you tapping along.
Next up is ‘Hold On‘ a lighter, airier sounding track, with less bass, but an equally solid drum beat. The next two tracks follow in a similar fashion to the past two, with ‘Fall Into The Party‘ being a fuller, more bass-y sound, and ‘Brothers and Sisters‘ relying more on guitar and a good melody. Track six, ‘Oceans‘, is more acoustic, with the guitar sound built up with some percussion, rather than the cello used in their last acoustic song ‘Crash Land‘.
Things instantly crank up a few gears again for the next song ‘I Am An Animal‘, introduced with a loud drum fill as things stay up there with a tunefully screamed refrain of the title line and a softer bridge of ‘Wake up everyone‘, which I’m sure this track will.
As has been the pattern with this album, the next track slows things down again. The lyrics seem to have a very clear message in this song, with the chorus opening with ‘When I grow up I wanna be a kid‘, a feeling many people out there can identify with. It shares a very similar theme to ‘Free‘, the title track of their last album, tying things together.
The rest of the album continues to alternate between heavy, fast tracks and lighter, more melodic songs, ‘Cell Mate‘ combining both. The final track ‘Why Won’t We Change?‘ falls under the later category, but it still has a very powerful sound, with strong vocals and layered guitar, not having to rely on the bass line. This song, again, is one with clearly carefully picked lyrics and, as the rhetorical title suggests, is one to make you think.
This is one album which really wants you to sit down and listen through it in order with a well planned playlist and multiple songs that run together smoothly. Aside from the opening track and ‘Oceans‘, it’s one of those great albums you can turn up full blast and dance around to, no matter the overall mood of the song, the rhythm is infectious and will no doubt grab you from first listen.
