Atomic Tom’s second LP, The Moment, is not the sort of record I would expect to hear great things from, but it turned out to be quite good. This Brooklyn-based band has a sound that is substantially influenced by Eighties British pop-rock with a dash of electronica mixed in for good measure, and the record will undoubtedly be popular in its' ability to get people moving and singing along. Their sound is comparable to that of The Killers, with fast-paced energetic songs and deep emotion-laden vocals. If you like your music light and care-free, you would probably enjoy a good portion of this album. However, for those folks that prefer music with a more angst-ridden serious tone, there are a couple of songs that fall into that category too. In that sense, you might say the album is a little bi-polar because it jumps back and forth quite a bit, but it still manages to have a flow between the songs and the transitions manage to not be jolting.
The record opens with “Let Let Go Tonight,” which just drips with party anthem potential. This track is seriously danceable, definitely retro, and if you agree that music can be visualized, intensely colorful. “Red Light Warning Sign” is equally energetic, with a more quirky, abstract sound and aggressive lyrical content. “I’m Coming After You” is a song that inspires one to engage in dance moves in an unrestrained fashion; I’m talking lots of jumping around, busting out some Eighties moves and generally gyrating in an inappropriate manner.
Then there are the more subdued songs. The ballads on the album are reminiscent of The Cure and listeners won't be able to miss it in tracks such as the title track and “Play That Dirty Girl,” with their dark overtones and interesting layering of synthesizer and guitar. The title track is arguably the best song on the album; the music is mellow and brooding and makes one want to take a ride on their cruiser bicycle with an aloof too-cool-for-school expression on their face. It may be a far stretch for some, but I thought the last track, “This Is How We End,” somewhat resembled the musical style of Muse, and maybe a little bit of Coldplay, albeit not as skillfully orchestrated. The song builds tension and eventually explodes in a release of unharnessed emotion, blasting the listener with a fusion of emotional vocals and heavy drums as the strings join in. It seems to be shooting for the sort of epic experience that Muse and Coldplay are known for providing at their live shows.
As you can gather, the tracks on this record are relatively varied in style and mood, so if you aren’t a fan of one song, you quite possibly will like another. Atomic Tom may not have an exceedingly unique sound and The Moment is by no means the cherished offspring of musical genius, but it might be considered the bastard child of musical genius. Overall, it’s a fun and fresh album that the hipsters are sure to be all over like a bad rash.
Artist:
www.atomictom.tumblr.com/
www.myspace.com/atomictom
www.facebook.com/atomictomband
Album:
The Moment is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
