At Last an Atlas has contributed a lovely album to the Electro-pop genre. From Which We Were Raised is filled with more delicacy than a china shop.
O’Briens heart-felt lyrics tell a story against a simple electronic background. His lyrics have the piercing intensity, like in ‘Passing Days’: “Pressed on the Page/Ismell you there/Could have sworn to God that you were here/ In my room I drew my breath/Filled my head with things to forget”. ‘Waywards Days’ is a cute song, perfect for breaks ups with it’s chorus “I stayed the way you wanted me”. With the primary instrument being an acoustic guitar, itadds a nice balance to the otherwise electronic album.
This leads me to a big issue with this album…it’s very repetitive. Greg O’Briens lyrics are his strong point but he leans towards simplicity otherwise and the format can quickly become mundane. His voice is slow and monotone. The electronic beats are uncannily similar track after track. If At Last an Atlas were to branch out musically, it would add needed variation to his work.
