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Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

  • Summary: The Scottish rock band's second album was produced by Gil Norton.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. May 5, 2011
    90
    To hear a band with such obvious and deep passion playing unencumbered and liberated rock music is an utterly captivating experience that Rock Sound would thoroughly recommend. Holding nothing back sounds exactly like this, everyone else please take note.
  2. Kerrang!
    May 13, 2011
    80
    It's a record so strong that it's hard to single out standout tracks, and even harder to locate points of weakness, and by anyone's standards this is one hell of an achievement. [30 Apr 2011, p.50]
  3. Q Magazine
    May 31, 2011
    60
    It's early days yet, but right now Twin Atlantic are doing nothing wrong and much that is right--their future looks bright indeed. [Jun 2011, p.124]
  4. May 5, 2011
    50
    Twin Atlantic no longer stand out enough from the host of similar power-pop and emo acts that have flooded the airwaves in recent years, and Free is depressingly characterised by unimaginative, one-paced hollers like The Ghost of Eddie and Time For You to Stand Up.
  5. May 17, 2011
    40
    Free is just too derivative to make the impact the band appear to crave.
  6. May 5, 2011
    40
    There's more than just a niggle that Free isn't breaking new ground. More disturbingly, the album is a wasted chance to build on Vivarium, and isn't as good as so much of the music it tries to emulate.
  7. 30
    It's a shame that there's so little of note on Free, because Gil Norton's production is fantastic as usual. But bless his heart, it's ultimately a wasted effort.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Apr 10, 2012
    9
    Before I start, I would just like to say that Twin Atlantic are one of my more favoured bands, so this may be a tad bias. However, 'Free' hasBefore I start, I would just like to say that Twin Atlantic are one of my more favoured bands, so this may be a tad bias. However, 'Free' has it's flaws. The album starts with a kick in the form of 'Edit Me'; a great tune with a seriously nice vibe, good vocals and a catchy chorus. Progressing through the album the songs start to get better and better, differing between upbeat, guitar-influenced material to the slower and soulful tracks such as 'Yes, I Was Drunk' and 'We Want Better Man'. Obviously, the title track 'Free' (99 on the UK singles chart) is really the heart and soul of the album, but the fourth single released from the album is, I feel, the more all around instrument-based song and much better in the essence of lyrics; 'Make a Beast of Myself'.
    Now, here is what I think the flaw is; the instrumental 'Serious Underground Dance Vibes'. It is not necessary to the flow of the album, and when I play it on my iPod, I get the urge to skip straight past it. The worst part is, I know its coming. Nevertheless, 'Free' is a great debut full album leading on from their EP 'Vivarium' and is definitely well worth the money your local retailer is pricing it at.
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  2. May 6, 2011
    9
    On first listen this album Free by Twin Atlantic clicked with me. It gives the right amount of passion mixed with distortion which I grooveOn first listen this album Free by Twin Atlantic clicked with me. It gives the right amount of passion mixed with distortion which I groove to. This band presents a good straight take on the current world environment with a European flavor that comes across great. I like it......you should check them out!! Expand
  3. May 23, 2011
    5
    The most trying part of a band's life cycle is the jump from EP (or in this case mini-album) to a full blown 11 to 13 song LP. This is when aThe most trying part of a band's life cycle is the jump from EP (or in this case mini-album) to a full blown 11 to 13 song LP. This is when a band shows that they can make a strong, cohesive product or fall down to monotony. Twin Atlantic's debut Vivarium showed the ability to draw in listeners behind catchy riffs and hooks, but follow up Free often feels boring. At times, the band shows the ability to win a listener's full attention, but in the full scheme of things, Free will be soon forgotten.



    Twin Atlantic won over many fans from their contagious, yet still technical tracks such as "Human After All" and "What Is Light? Where Is Laughter". Sadly, there really aren't any tracks that live up to those standards. Flat choruses as in "Apocalyptic Renegade", "Time For You To Stand Up", and "Yes, I Was Drunk" really harm the album from the get-go, as that stretch of songs give an extremely poor early impression of the album. Testing out an instrumental interlude fails, as four minutes is far too long for band of this style to simply play ambient riffs. The band also experiments with a heavier and darker sound with "Edit Me", "The Ghost Of Eddie", and "We Want Better, Man", only hitting successfully on the new sound with one of the three ("Edit Me"). On "The Ghost Of Eddie", vocal effects ruin the charm of Sam McTrusty's highly accented voice, as the attempt to give McTrusty a grungy tone backfired completely. The shouts and screams in the track as well as "We Want Better, Man" are poor and unnecessary, and simply move the band in the direction that many fans weren't hoping for.

    The middle stretch of tracks "Free", "Crash Land", and "Make A Beast Of Myself" display the techniques that Twin Atlantic should have used much more often throughout the album. "Free" is the track most similar to the fan favorites from Vivarium, as the upbeat verses lead up to the powerful chorus, where McTrusty dominates with his strong vocals. "Make A Beast Of Myself" is another vocally centered track, as McTrusty hits his upper register with little effort. But "Crash Land" is where Twin Atlantic hits in every such way, as beautiful cello played by Barry McKenna accents the acoustic guitars and McTrusty's voice bleeds emotion more than any other track the band has released so far, crying "And nothing gets better than memories/When all you have are memories for friends." In fact, this one song almost saves the whole album from being tossed aside.

    But not quite. It's just too hard to save a thirteen song, forty-seven minute long album with just one excellent song and a couple other good ones. It almost seems like Twin Atlantic could have cut out three songs, making it a still decently sized full length. Instead, Free is mostly filler, and does not allow a listener to maintain full attention throughout the entire album. Twin Atlantic isn't doomed in their future, as even strong bands can create poor records. Hopefully, the band will grow from this debut, and bring together all the positive aspects shown scattered throughout Free to write the album we all know these Scots can produce.

    review originally found at http://muzikdizcovery.com
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