STAND ATLANTIC - WAS HERE
Stand Atlantic's latest album, WAS HERE, is a bold and unapologetic exploration of the band's identity and artistry. This fourth studio album sees the Australian pop-punk group at their most confident and creatively liberated, blending raw emotional intensity with their signature energetic sound.
Yet we see a band transformed into a newer version of themselves. When talking of this latest release Bonnie said: "We just need to continue being ourselves; that's the only thing that gets you anywhere. We're not trying to be anything else than whatever the fuck this is. We don't know how to be anything else other than that. We've kept the same mantra in place the whole time, and that's what we will continue to do no matter what."
The album opens with ‘WAKE UP-SIT DOWN-SHUT UP,’ a dark, introspective track that sets the tone for the album's exploration of complex emotions like anger, regret, and healing. From there, the album dives into a series of dynamic tracks, including ‘FRENEMIES,’ which deals with the uncertainties of rocky relationships, and ‘GIRL$,’ a powerful collaboration with PVRIS and Bruses that exudes empowerment and rage.
One of the standout elements of WAS HERE is its successful integration of collaborations, including features with Sueco on ‘NOSE BLEED’ and Polaris on ‘CRIMINAL.’ These tracks showcase the band's ability to adapt and elevate their sound by bringing in different influences while maintaining their core identity.
Songs like ‘KISSIN' KILLER COBRAS’ and ‘WARZ0NE’ highlight Stand Atlantic's ability to fuse heavy riffs with catchy melodies, creating intense and memorable tracks. "17" stands out as perhaps the most emotionally charged song on the album, where Bonnie Fraser delivers a visceral performance that captures the pain and anger of traumatic experiences, followed by the more reflective and stripped-back ‘17 // REPRIZE [ONE TAKE].’
The album concludes with ‘KILL[H]ER,’ a song that encapsulates the themes of self-doubt and introspection that permeate the record. Overall, WAS HERE is a testament to Stand Atlantic's growth as a band, showcasing their willingness to push boundaries and embrace both the heavy and pop elements of their sound. It's an album that resonates with raw honesty, making it a compelling listen for longtime fans and newcomers.
It is clear that like many musicians and artists Stand Atlantic are looking to create a realer version of themselves. Fans who have been here from the beginning have seen them grow into the artists they are today. This is vividly illustrated by the album's artwork, where the band lies sprawled on the floor, lifeless, with blood and entrails starkly staining the clean white surface beneath them. The imagery is gruesome and intense, serving as a powerful symbol of ending something significant. Yet, it also perfectly encapsulates the concept of killing off parts of yourself to allow the rest to thrive.
"I had the vision of looking at myself dead on the cover of an album that I went through so much shit to make. I wanted to be able to hold that album in my hands, look at the person on the front and see them lying there from a completely different perspective," Bonnie starkly explains. "
That's because whilst making it, I felt like I was no longer the person that I was years before. It didn't feel like a gradual growth into this cool person that I am really proud of being. It felt like there was a huge black spot in my life where I went so inward and was not okay, and I was a shell of a person and a shell of who I was. I was grieving the person I used to be so badly because I didn't recognise the person that I was at the time."
With this release, Stand Atlantic has cemented their place as one of the most exciting bands in the scene today, delivering a record that is as empowering as it is cathartic.
Cat Wiltshire
★★★★★