ALBUM REVIEW: WAS HERE – Stand Atlantic
Australian pop-punks STAND ATLANTIC are back and with a brand new album. WAS HERE is the follow-up to 2022’s F.E.A.R. and it kickstarts a whole new chapter in the band’s career. Filled with wall to wall bangers and several guests throughout the record, WAS HERE sees the band embracing a heavier side to their sound which is a most welcome inclusion and it matches perfectly with the pop-punk elements that we’re used to when it comes to STAND ATLANTIC.
Opening the album is WAKE UP, SIT DOWN, SHUT UP which starts with some teasing synths to ease us in. However as the song starts to gain pace we are met with huge chugging arena-sized guitars alongside frontwoman Bonnie Fraser’s ever impressive vocals. It has an almost sinister feel to it and sets a great standard for the album to follow. FRENEMIES immediately follows and once it gets going there’s no stopping it. The enormous chorus shows that this album is built for much bigger venues that STAND ATLANTIC are currently playing.
GIRLS$ is the first song on the record featuring other guests, this time in the form of PVRIS and Bruses who offer their talents without once feeling out of place. NOSE BLEED (feat. Sueco) is a fun yet also sinister sounding track that details the experience of two people in a tumultuous relationship. It’s done from both points of view and is easily one of the darker sounding tracks on the record and will make for a good singalong live.
At the halfway point of the record is KISSIN’ KILLER COBRAS which is hands down the highlight of the album. It’s got a lovely rolling drum beat that goes alongside a great riff which is very similar to that of Walk by PANTERA and allows STAND ATLANTIC to really embrace their heavier side. The heavy goodness continues with WARZONE, which sees the band continuing at 100mph and allows Fraser to show a more aggressive style to her singing. CRIMINAL continues the heavy streak of the album by incorporating POLARIS as guests on the track which is a welcome addition. The track itself has an excellent bounce to it that makes it impossible to keep still whilst listening to it.
17 once again brings back the darker tones to WAS HERE, another song detailing a relationship gone bad at such a young age and how the trauma from that can have a lasting effect on a person. Throughout the song you can feel the anger in Fraser’s voice which adds to the realness of it all. There will definitely be listeners out there who will relate to this and will be able to find some form of catharsis in it knowing they’re not alone.
G.A.G brings an end to the heavier run on the record and brings back the pop-punk influence mixed in with a nice use of synths for a more light-hearted track which brings a nice change of pace after the sonic bombardment of the previous songs. It’s a fun and catchy tune and it goes hand in hand with subsequent track ROCKSTAR which changes up its sound ever so slightly as the guitar throughout has an almost reggae feel to it which surprisingly fits well amongst all the different styles that have featured throughout, giving the album a more light-hearted feel towards its end. Closer KILL(H)ER brings everything full circle as it ends how the record started, with enormous chugging guitars and a giant chorus that once again wouldn’t feel amiss in a massive arena. It’s a good ending to a solid album.
WAS HERE is a great example of a band evolving their sound. STAND ATLANTIC could have easily played it safe and made a plain old pop-punk album, but by taking a risk and adding heavier elements to the record, it wouldn’t at all be a surprise to see fans ranking this very highly in the band’s discography. If there’s any criticism to be made, it would be that the album does feel a little too long by the end of it but musically and lyrically it’s a hell of a lot of fun that is going to be excellent to experience live once the album is out properly. STAND ATLANTIC are only going to get bigger from here on in, and it’s going to be great to join the ride.
Rating: 8/10
WAS HERE is set for release on August 23rd via Hopeless Records.
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