STAND ATLANTIC – “Sidewinder” (EP Review) – 15/09/17

Sydney three-piece pop punk outfit STAND ATLANTIC have already made incredible strides in the two years since they formed. Having recently signed to Rude Records, the band stand on the brink of the debut EP’s release. Entitled Sidewinder, the EP throws back to mid-2000s pop punk with a contemporary alternative twist. It’s tight, it’s soulful, and it’s loaded with grit.

Sidewinder, the title track, summons memories of Paramore’s early albums, but the merging of belted female harmonies with grunged-up guitar and hard-hitting drums doesn’t blend STAND ATLANTIC too far into their shadow. It’s clear the trio have their own idiosyncrasies and vibe. Mess I Made makes joyous noise out of insecurity, and is the standout track on the EP— it’s an infectious dance worm of a song. Push takes a more broad approach to STAND ATLANTIC’s immersive pull-maybe not as catchy as Mess I Made, but no less deep. Coffee At Midnight was the band’s latest single release, and it’s cracker— the perfect match of dissonant and riffy, it’s the biggest-sounding track on the EP, and the most adventurous, loaded with electric harmonic plays and guitar runs. Chemicals caps off Sidewinder in style, shifting from a faster chorus setup into an anthemic bridge, the perfect pop punk concert encore.

While not mega varied, STAND ATLANTIC’s first foray scratches the pop-punk itch that 2010 loved and left. Sidewinder’s a little taster of a band with tremendous promise.