For most musicians, COVID-19 presented a roadblock: one that stopped tours, skewed release dates and shut down studios. For Chase Atlantic, it meant going back to their roots and recording their newest offering, BEAUTY IN DEATH, in the bedrooms of their shared house.
But don’t get it confused – their third album is another strong instalment in their seven-year career as a band. The trio, made up of brothers Mitchel and Clinton Cave and best friend Christian Anthony, write their own music, play their own instruments and are in charge of their own production – and its clear their time away has paid off. Their music has developed, taking a much more personal tone while maintaining that classic yet original Chase Atlantic sound.
This sound, however, is difficult to define. Anyone who’s followed the group’s trajectory over the past few years knows they regularly transgress genre boundaries, either creating their own hybrid or ignoring them altogether. While not as diverse as their sophomore album PHASES, Chase Atlantic’s varying influences, from The Weeknd to Pink Floyd, are very obvious in this release.
The album opens with PARANOID, a perfect introduction to the moody R&B/trap sound that’s a cornerstone to their music. The song touches on issues with fame, mental health and drug dependency, all themes that run throughout the album. When talking to Rocksound, the group acknowledge their change in approach to songwriting, saying that “[it’s] becoming a little more improvised, which is cool in a way.”
“It’s a little more raw and has a little more insight into our lives, in a way that’s more personal”.
And most of the album definitely keeps this honesty. Fan favourites CALL ME BACK and I THINK I’M LOST AGAIN really touch on a sense of inescapable loneliness, one that speaks not only to their growing fame but to many of our experiences of the past year through lockdowns and isolation.
The title track, BEAUTY IN DEATH, moves from a smooth intro to an electrifying and catchy pop-beat that deserves to be on all your summer playlists.
Of the four singles from this album, its SLIDE that truly stands out to me, while also being a personal favourite of the boys. It’s a song that’s so soothing and classically Chase Atlantic, yet perfectly showcases the natural progression of the band into this new era.
There’s often a lot of pressure on bands when it comes to their third album; there are many expectations on how they’re meant to sound, the direction of their music and the growth they’re supposed to go through.
As a long-time fan of theirs, I too feared that this album may be the one that catches them lacking. However, there’s a natural dynamic and energy that occurs when they make music; they somehow always deliver with songs that touch you but still make you want to dance. And I, for one, can’t wait until touring begins again so I can dance all the way up to the front row at one of their shows.
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BEAUTY IN DEATH is available on Spotify and Apple Music now.
Featured image credit: Chase Atlantic / Fearless Records
Fourth-year Digital Media student. Can be found procrastinating or talking about feminism. Sometimes writes things.
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