Not to tar all guitar-wielding Scots doing big business with the same Highland brush, but when it comes to Glasgow’s Twin Atlantic, their mantra appears to be less “Mon the Biff” and more “become the Biff”. Yes, the band’s trajectory mirrors that of its hirsute superiors Biffy Clyro, albeit in a condensed fashion.
For those not au fait, here’s the skinny: rock band mixes angular, vaguely mathy rock with all-encompassing hooks, eventually abandoning the former entirely in favour of the latter to shift cult fan base into mainstream. Much like the last Biffy LP, Opposites, Great Divide is instantly accessible and will probably do wonders for Twin Atlantic’s profile.
It does, however, come at a price – the songwriting has grown increasingly lacklustre, based around tepid lyricism and the kind of crystal-clear production that shines through to reveal each song’s hollow interior. There’s some fun to be had with tracks like ‘Heart And Soul’, but the flavour is lost quickly and is not regained through repeated listens.
“You can tell that the youth of today have lost their voice,” laments frontman Sam McTrusty at one point on Great Divide. Let’s hope the irony of this isn’t lost on him.
2.5/5.
Great Divideis out now through Red Bull.
