The Attika State – Measures (Alcho Pop records)

From the opening of this full length I was overjoyed to hear a British melodic rock band singing with real accents, as far too many put on an American style, especially for singing, despite not being Americans. The deep layers within the vocals and music create a record which is both relatable and easy to get in to.

The band are very hard to place into one particular musical style; the main thing which is apparent throughout the record is melody, and there is a definite level of skill within the song writing, without sounding like any compromise has been made this band write great pop songs with elements of alternative rock, metal and indie. It is clear that the list of influences to their music is varied and vast creating an individual, deep sound.

Lyrically there is simplicity to the song writing; this is in no way a criticism, as not every song has to be full of layers and complexity. The simplicity makes it very easy to find points to relate to within every song, also the simple lyrics allow the focus to be taken by melody and the general musicianship. The vocals take centre stage for the majority of the album but the angular guitar parts build up to create a rich sound which is backed by driving bass lines and complex drumming. The vocals convey a large range of emotion throughout the record, and as you listen further into each track you can hear everything else subtly changing to create a greater sense of depth.

As a record it takes a few listens to realise quite how good it is, on the first listen I was unsure and felt it to be a bit too close to pop punk in it’s simplicity, however after a few tries there are so many aspects which add depth to the album and have made it a great record. I thoroughly recommend getting hold of a copy of this album as it gets better with every listen.