Ambient pop-rock with a purposeful, heartfelt core – Australian band Atlas Rising top off an impressive original repertoire, with the warmth and optimism of the brand new single Harmony.
From dreamy beginnings, reverb-soaked guitar creates a sense of rising brightness amidst an atmospheric wash of synths. A spoken word voice is distant but poignant in its reference to violence breeding violence, and the mood is uplifting in line with this – just as the central groove of the track falls into place.
Strong riffs and live drums that are mellow but consistent provide the beating heart of Harmony’s musicality. Then we get a nearly whispered, raspy and quiet vocal lead, a simple melody, and poetic statements that feel vague and inclusive in their contemplation of life and the world.
The sound is almost akin to the likes of Eels, only the set-up and overall tone is more delicate here, less confronting and quirky. The song feels, by all accounts, as if it was written purely for you – not as a self-expression but as a gift to its audience. That’s a rare and wonderful thing to stumble upon in modern music.
The track continues to roll along in this way, the simple melody and groove maintaining the energy and positivity for over five and half minutes of music. It’s a minimal but likable arrangement, the lyrics increasing their depth and historical context throughout, but the instrumentation holding close to this shoulder-swaying, organic jam.
Also recently released, the song SHINE ON depicts a notably more dramatic, arena-style sense of presence and pace. We’re still in this ethereal, reverb-soaked world of wonder, we’re still guided by possibility, but the voice is more clean-cut; the sound a little more energetic and progressive – the crash of the drums, the higher lyrical density, the rising anticipation as we evolve towards the hook. The style is still Atlas Rising, without doubt, but the anthemic potential and the passion are sky high, and as such, the listener’s mood is uplifted all the more effectively.
Lyrically focused on brighter tomorrows, SHINE ON reminds us to keep focused on the colours and capabilities that reside all around us. The set-up is forever humble, modest and inoffensive, but the versatility between these two songs works well to highlight the natural appeal of Atlas Rising as both songwriters and a live band.
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