‘Reliable’ is the first word that springs to kind to sum up Freeze the Atlantic’s back catalogue. Humble, unassuming, and always pleasant, they’ve developed a catchy brand of accessible alt rock that recalls Rival Schools, Jimmy Eat World and a number of other turn-of-the-century emo torchbearers.
However, for all their likeability, it’s difficult to feel inspired by LTA’s third album, ‘The People Are Revolting. It’s a continuation of the rousing pop rock the band have perfected since 2012’s ‘Speakeasy’ stripped to the bare essentials of hook-writing in rock songs, which becomes too predictable to remain engaging across its eleven track stay.
Of course, their songwriting is still in good form – we’re dealing with a band comprising former Hundred Reasons and Reuben members after all. Opener ‘Annotate My Fate’ shows off the urgency and large-scale hooks they can easily pack into any song. This energy also brings flashes of life to tracks like ‘Crackerjack’ and The Floor is Made of Lava, with it’s corkscrew guitar outro providing one of the album’s highlights.
But while the energy is present physically, it’s difficult to find any creative energy in ‘The People Are Revolting.’ Freeze the Atlantic’s stripped-to-basics approach feels lacking when placed in today’s expansive musical landscape, where the odd and unpredictable reigns supreme. It’s a good record if one is simply seeking a reliable rock record rather than anything more daring, but this won’t be starting any revolutions any time soon.
3/5
‘The People Are Revolting’ by Freeze the Atlantic is released on 14th April on Alcopop! Records.
Freeze the Atlantic links: Website|Facebook|Twitter
Words by Andy Davidson (@AndyrfDavidson)
