Epic instrumentals and poetic rage make F.E.A.R Stand Atlantic’s most revealing record yet. The band do not shy away from giving their points of view and definitely don’ shy away from proving their worth. Pop punk has been revitalised over the past few years and Stand Atlantic has been pivotal in this transition. Their music may feel poppy and upbeat, but it’s actually cut-throat in terms of lyricism. All these songs that make up this informative record have been meticulously created with words in mind – words that sting. Vocalist Bonnie Fraser doesn’t hold back here. She sings with extreme rage and fight, with songs that are breakneck, empowering and different. Engaging in their delivery, they invigorate but are not completely drowned out by their pop feel. Some tracks in the pop punk field sound repetitive and have no substance, and although Stand Atlantic is a band in this particular space, they have so many fresh ideas that their songs stand out as original. F.E.A.R breaks boundaries in the pop punk world. It sounds balanced and rounded with no broken moments. Everything here is solid, and Fraser is a firecracker, singing eloquently when she needs to and then rising to the occasion, gaining momentum. Her range suits the pop punk genre, and her guitar trickery is seamless. The album begins with ‘Doomsday’, which nods at the broken world we live in. Fraser sings with authority, and the lyrics describe hell on earth. The instrumentals are key to this track, giving it some needed muscle. It’s such a catchy start. ‘Dumb’ opens straight away with Fraser at the forefront. Her vocals slightly fall here until the harsh chorus comes in. Again, it’s another catchy pop punk song, without that sugar-coated feel. ‘Blood clot’ has a slow build-up, and acts as a ballad until the chorus barges in. It’s a well-developed track, lyrically and musically, with these three in particular standing out. Stand Atlantic gives pop punk a makeover and their energy is unrelenting right the way across F.E.A.R., which stands out as a very impressive LP.
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