Grand Atlantic

Grand Atlantic haven't been around long, but you're going to be hearing a lot about them. The release of their debut EP 'Smoke & Mirrors', only five short months ago, saw them sneak into the national consciousness with the focused powerpop perfection of the title track and video. Now, with their debut album 'This Is Grand Atlantic' - a statement of intent that brooks no argument - hitting shelves around Australia May 26th through Popboomerang / MGM, their steadily reckoning arrival is officially upon us. Released in November '06, 'Smoke & Mirrors' received a swarm of praise both here and abroad. The '2006 Drum Media Writers Poll' rightly listed it as one of the top ten EP's Of The Year and the accolades rolled in: "With what can only be described as an utter tease for the forthcoming longplayer, these local lads deliver the goods, reassuring their position as one of the next great things to come out of Brisbane." (Time Off – Dec 06) "This is a band which has assimilated all there is worth knowing in the world of orchestral pop and bends that knowledge to their own will... 4 stars." (Courier Mail – Nov 06) Advance copies of the band's album have ignited a whispering campaign from those in the know, which resulted in the band's showcase appearance at the BigSound conference in Brisbane last October, at the insistence of one of the UK delegates who had been bowled over by the band's slightlydelic pop. 2007 hasn't proven any slower for Grand Atlantic - February saw them selected from over 800 bands nationwide as semi-finalists in MTV Australia's 'Kickstart' competition and March saw them handpicked to showcase at Adelaide's Fuse festival, but it was the ISC that drove home the deal. Run out of Nashville, the ISC (International Songwriting Competition) is widely recognized as the world's premier songwriting competition; the results for the 2006 competition were announced only a fortnight ago and amongst over 15,000 entries from nearly 90 countries, one Australian band stood out in blazing lights – the only local act to have two songs in the finals. That band was Grand Atlantic. Placed 3rd place in the 'Rock' category with their track Coolite, Grand Atlantic also received an honorable mention in the main 'Performance' category for Wonderful Tragedy. Both tracks are lifted from the forthcoming debut album, but it is upon the fragile beauty of Wonderful Tragedy that the spotlight now falls. The first single to be lifted from the album proper, Wonderful Tragedy is an exercise in deftly juxtaposing the melodic with the muscles. Timpani drums, orchestral arrangements and fragile, languid guitar herald the track which has been described as "some escapee from a lost Scott Walker album circa '68". But the thing is, these boys aren't some sepia-tinged nostalgia act – this is a real, affecting, vulnerable, mournful pop song that sounds utterly modern and utterly unlike anything else around at the moment. Simultaneously dense enough to engulf and sparse enough to ache, it's a masterclass in songwriting and it's performed to perfection. So; 'This Is Grand Atlantic' hits shelves around Australia May 26th. The album is being heralded as one of 2007's best pop/rock Australian releases. Conjuring up the wide-ranging sonic textures and songwriting smarts of the Beatles and the Beach Boys but wrapping it all in a beautifully-produced modern sound, this is one that any fan of intelligent, melodic pop rock will need to investigate... this is Grand Atlantic. Prepare to lose your heart to them. Stay tuned; official 'This Is Grand Atlantic' national tour dates t.b.a. next week. "Brace yourselves Brisbane, we potentially have new international rock stars on our hands." (Time Off – Dec 06) http://www.myspace.com/grandatlantic