A Wolf At Your Door Records's video: Lower Than Atlantis - Marilyn s Mansion

Lower Than Atlantis' debut is catchy, anthemic and everything we had hoped for... Last year’s well-received debut album ‘Far Q’ raised expectations for Lower Than Atlantis. It underlined the Hertfordshire quartet’s great potential and established them as one of the premier rising talents in UK punk. Striking while the iron’s hot, this follow-up should help further develop this growing reputation. It’s notably less acerbic than its predecessor, but this refinement doesn’t compromise the punch packed by these 12 songs. ‘World Record’ is a consistently catchy album, choc full of anthemic choruses in the likes of first track ‘Beech Like The Tree’, but it’s also a full-length that unequivocally proves LTA are so much more than simply a punk band. It’s a stylistically diverse rock record of great scope, with tracks such as the more delicate, moving ‘Another Sad Song’ mixing comfortably with the frenetic punk rock and gang vocals of ‘Bug’ or poppier moments such as ‘(Motor) Way Of Life’. Singer Mike Duce’s distinguished vocal impressively fronts songs that smartly address subjects ranging from being addicted to cigs, to work, the band, relationships and beyond. A true jewel in British rock’s crown, with ‘World Record’, Lower Than Atlantis have again delivered an album that will likely be among the standouts of the year. Tim Newbound - Rocksound 8/10 Little more than a year after the release of their intriguingly titled first album, Far Q, prolific Watford quartet Lower Than Atlantis have returned with a follow-up. Said debut was a promising slice of largely melodic post-hardcore replete with jagged riffs and vocals that were abrasive for sure, but you could tell the edges had already been sanded down after early comparisons with fellow townsmen Gallows. World Record sees the foursome move towards a grungier sound, with even cleaner vocals. Opening track, (Motor) Way of Life evokes memories of mid-00s outfits like Hell Is For Heroes, or even Biffy Clyro, with contrasting guitars and vocal harmonies at play. The heavyweight riffs of Beech Like the Tree chug away like a head butt in a handbag, frontman Mike Duce singing his way to centre stage at every turn. Vocally, there are parallels to (bizarrely) be drawn with Kate Nash: Duce’s nasal inflections linger in a similar manner in tracks such as High at Five and Another Sad Song, and his allegories are on a similar level – often painfully sincere. There are moments where you’re certain big salty tears are rolling down his face. And he sings about what he knows. With topics ranging from the vagaries of life in a band (Uni 9mm, Bug), the difficulties of cigarette addiction (Up in Smoke) and touring (Marilyn’s Mansion, (Motor) Way of Life), this tell-it-like-it-is realism could be the band’s major selling point. Lyrics that are personal enough to the band but that fans can relate to their own lives are invaluable. Hearing a man’s pain expressed so bare, as it is all the way through this album, is something of a contrary heart-warmer. Raziq Rauf - BBC Music Buy this track & the album at iTunes. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/world-record/id423594754 http://www.wolfatyourdoor.com/