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The North Atlantic is a hodgepodge of musical techniques,
coloring and unconventional scenarios. Their arrangements take influences
from industrial rock, punk, blues, pop, post new wave, hard rock/heavy
metal stylings, and the more current hardcore. Their music has samples
of the B52's spontaneity, the challenging sharp crests of Megadeth,
the heavy tones of Gratitude's intensity, the Cure's
experimental curves and sound resonance, the blues rock implements
of the Rolling Stones, and Cursive's fiery, circular
motions. The North Atlantic dices up these elements into an emotional
downpour of lightning sharp streaks, torrid rumbles, and ravishing
sonic effects.
Their sophomore album Wires In The Walls, subsequent to their
debut release Buried Under Tundra, is produced by Jason
Clark and the three members of The North Atlantic, Jason Hendrix
(vocals, guitars, lyrics, and the artwork for the album), his younger
brother Cullen Hendrix (drums), and Jason Richards (bass).
The album was recorded at Audio Design and Big Fish Studios In San
Diego, California and includes the fine vocal symphonies of the San
Diego Drunkards Chorus on the track "Drunk Under Electrics."
The number blazons with aggressive outbursts forked by subdued inlets.
The guitar effects are crimped, sharpened, beamed, and creased while
the drums and bass lines spine the folds as the vocals steer the movements.
"Lotus Eater" has the amp'd beats of a cheerleading squadron
composed of vocals and handclaps through the intro with a myriad
of instrument coordinates coming in after the first verse. Songs
like "The Man Who Saved Your Ass" and "Bottom Of
This Town" have a collage of flashing guitar effects, puncturing
vocals, and intense bass and drum motions. "Swallow Fire"
has a wonderful drum prelude with expert precision on the voracious
hammers. "Street Sweepers" is an uniquely tinkered melody
fitted with symbolic images that reveal, "Here come the street
sweepers/ Cover your eyes/ Cover your ears/ Here come the street
sweepers/ Because they'll take everything you hold dear/ And when
you're in the ground/ And when you're there/ The smoke grows so
thick."
The song lyrics have a meditative confluence bridging symbols with
real life. The North Atlantic don't write about fantasy, but about
surviving in the practical world. On a metaphysical plane, the instrument
scores represent the struggles, the carousing, and the losses that
surge through real life. The track "Cities" mirrors real
life scenarios, resonating with soft sounding vocals and laces of
tribal and slamming drum beats along protracting guitar swells. The
melody has a fluxing action like Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
in that the orchestration shifts tempo rates, extracts multiple phases
like blues rock and industrial rock hooks and strings them together.
The verses move from loose to rapid and tenacious, manifesting into
unbridled coloring and vividly artistic forms.
The album concludes with the song "The Ministry Of Helicopters"
which follows with the theme of liberally splashing sounds and carving
out vibrations to form a hodgepodge of caustic and symphonic patterns.
The North Atlantic create Art Rock with a conglomeration of every
musical influence they can find. Everything fits in their songs
even when the chords and wires stick out.
The North Atlantic's sophomore album Wires In The Walls is
seeing a rebirth. The 2003 album is being released statewide in July
2006, branching out a local San Diego band beyond their secluded beach
enclave.
-Susan Frances
Tracklisting:
1. The Lotus Eater
2. Drunk Under The Electrics
3. Swallow Fire
4. The Man Who Saved Your Ass
5. Scientist Girl
6. Bottom Of This Town
7. Street Sweepers
8. Atmosphere vs. The Dogs Of Dawn
9. Cities
10. Swallows Air
11. The Ministry Of Helicopters
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