Every now and then, critics and music fans look nostalgically back and the ‘golden era’ of pop, somewhere around the mid-60’s to early 70’s, and sigh ‘why don’t they make those kind of records any more?’. Why indeed? Perhaps because in the rush to shove mass-produced filler down the kids’ throats via video and mobile phones, making quality music designed to last didn’t seem important.
Grand Atlantic, however, have managed to do what seemed impossible – created a lush, melody-drenched set of songs that combine minor-key melancholy with killer pop choruses. By ignoring the rules, they have drawn elements from the past and made them seem new again. This is the album that the major-label show-ponies would have given their right arms to make. You see, you have to be outsiders to pull this off – the kids that sat in the bedroom obsessing over who played on the second Kinks album; the dreamers who analysed every lyric on ‘Pink Moon’; the Edie Sedgwick fans. The thinkers. The romantics.
It was the release of their debut EP ‘Smoke & Mirrors’, that saw Grand Atlantic soar into Australia’s national consciousness. Released in November ’06, ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ created a storm of approval locally and overseas. The ‘2006 Drum Media Writers Poll’ listed it as one of the top ten EPs Of The Year and the title track’s superb stop-motion video, which screened nationally via Rage and Channel V, gained the band high rotation at venues all across Australia, NZ and USA on the Nightlife rock channel.
“Bands can sometimes do the big guitar pop-rock thing and sometimes do the orchestral pop thing, but somehow Grand Atlantic can do them both equally well and resolve them into an enthralling package”
The Courier Mail
2007 didn't prove any slower for Grand Atlantic and the praise continues. Throughout the year they toured the East Coast of Australia three times, and were handpicked to perform at the internationally renowned Adelaide Fuse Festival and BigSound conferences. In April they placed 3rd in the ‘Rock Category’ of the 2006 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) with their track Coolite, while Wonderful Tragedy also garnered an ISC Honourable Mention in the main ‘Performance’ category; both are tracks from the album. The lads shone above over 15,000 entrants from nearly 90 countries, which merely hints at the breadth found on ‘This Is Grand Atlantic’.
It’s there from the ambitious opening track, Prelude. Piano, gentle horns, impeccable strings, and Phil Usher’s vocals lull you into a kind of reverie – just enough to set you up for the 1-2 sucker-punch of Coolite and Smoke & Mirrors, which rocket from the speakers to grab you by the throat and demand you pay attention. You getting the picture yet? Chaos Theory unloads some good old-fashioned psychedelia in a haze of guitar feedback and opium-slow drums, building to the sweet release of the chorus – “it’s all coming together now”. Yes, indeed it is. Wonderful Tragedy is ambitious, bittersweet, resigned but never beaten – it’s as if the band is in on some secret that the rest of us are left to guess at. It’ll cut you to the bone. And there are still eight more tracks…
“Judging from this blinder of an album, Grand Atlantic have brought something classic yet refreshing to today's music scene and in the process have proven themselves to be really quite grand indeed”
TSM Radio http://www.tsmradio.net (UK)
‘This Is Grand Atlantic’ was released in Australia in June 07 through Popboomerang/MGM and has been heralded as one of the year’s best pop/rock Australian releases. Conjuring up the wide-ranging sonic textures and songwriting smarts of the Beatles and the Beach Boys but wrapping it all in a beautifully-produced modern sound, this is one that any fan of intelligent, melodic pop rock will need to investigate... this is Grand Atlantic.
“Bottom line, this is an amazingly great album and deserves much acclaim. On my top ten for 2007, most definitely.”
www.powerpopaholic.com (USA)
"Brace yourselves Brisbane, we potentially have new international rock stars on our hands." (Time Off – Dec 06)
Hello Grand Alantic, The Grandest Band in the Land!. I hope all is rocking in your world and i'm still ready for your next film clip, my fee is still the same Garlic bread and beer. God Bless Johnny.
Lads, I know you have been awaiting my command to venture forth and smash our fleet of blackest night waywardly upon the sea....the time has come...lets take this land for our own...the hour of the Grand Ocean claiming this meekly furrowed continent! The launch of our locust bee swarm of terror has come to pass. Stroke your beards with us, raise your battle axe and may all perish here ye who stand in the way of our Armada for a river of Raven blood will flow across the scourge of this blackened earth!
hey guys I supose I missed out on a great show! Love the new songs, and the girls make the pics look great! cheers Jude ps. did the zoo have top shelf tequila?
I loved it and am very proud to have even helped out just that one night.
It had such a warm, fun feeling and I think it really suits the song.
Basically I was smiling for the entire time it played.
on a related thought, in the video Phil reminded me a lot of this picture of the guy who is meant to be Kurt Cobain in last days http://www.picturehouse.com/titles/images/last.jpg
thanks sean, I'm having a good day now, would you believe it I had computer problems! all is well now and I worked it out by myself... have a great time yourself wont ya! xx
Hi Phil, Thanks heaps! Would be great to see you at the show. We're excited about playing in Brisbane for the first time ever! I hope your show tomorrow night goes well too! -Alexis
i am really looking forward to varun and Michaels end product, I liked the fun, down to earth type feel that the rough cut with all the bon jovi inserts had.
and I saw a poster in the toilets at the zoo when I saw chk chk chk. I'm sure the poster was in other places too,
but now I have met Grand Atlantic I am keen to come support you guys and see what you get up to on stage.
Thank you...we try to dig on everyones interest's or the sounds they enjoy,..We like what you had going on your page...and figured we would take the chance, you would like what we enjoy the most...and thats make music...but for the most part... now that we got that horrible and cheesy statement out of the way....this looks like another typical, but somewhat long band comment... But heck at least its a comment... Right?
