There’s something charming about a band unafraid to aim high, and few bands sound as brazenly ambitious as Glasgow’s Twin Atlantic. On their second album they seek to distil their beloved rock’n’roll down to its constituent parts. And it’s a triumph: the way the likes of ‘Brothers And Sisters’ and ‘Be A Kid’ blossom is reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins at their bombastic and vulnerable best, while the heroic ‘Cell Mate’ and ‘Fall Into The Party’ have more than a touch of Nirvana about them. More than anything, though, ‘Great Divide’ is a love letter to the power of music itself; earnest, yes, but as heart-warming a rock record as it’s possible to imagine.
Ben Patashnik