Written: 19th April 2024
Liverpool’s Attic Theory have released music on a fairly regular basis. Their 2020 debut EP – The Sign of An Active Mind – was extremely well received and established the band’s sound for thoughtful and compellingly addictive alternative rock. Writing for their debut full-length began as early as 2021 but due to the pandemic and the need for vocalist Lewis Wright to undergo throat surgery, songs from the album were recorded over a longer period of time than originally intended. With four of the eleven songs on What We Fear The Most released over the last two years, it has been a long wait for both the band and their fans, but Attic Theory’s debut will finally see the light of day on 26th April.
What We Fear The Most opens with the barnstorming Violent Delight. A track that was always destined to be the first on the album, it is a tantalising slice of hard rock. Attic Theory know exactly how to draw listeners in and having three guitarists in the band (Peter Donnelly, Tim Cunningham and Matt Lawler) means that Violent Delight is far from the deceptively simple straight ahead, catchy hard rock song it may initially appear to be. Multiple listens reveal the depth and balance of texture, potent bass lines, clever musical phrasing and vigour that it truly contains. Examining the themes of confrontation and deceit, Lewis Wright tells his tale of devilish satisfaction. Unamused, it's dulling the sense / Lick your wounds, on the defensive / Stand accused, rabid and reckless / Right on cue, quit acting demented. The person being addressed is depicted as wild, out of control and there is a call for them to stop acting irrationally, implying their behaviour is deliberate, rather than through a loss of control.
Another trio of insanely catchy songs follow - Tattooed Heart, Narrow Lines and Papier-Mâché. During Tattooed Heart, Attic Theory examine the balance between the pain and pleasure of being emotionally vulnerable, the permanent nature of our experiences and the way they shape who we are. On Papier-Mâché, the band are joined by singer Kevin Martin of Candlebox – a bucket list moment for Lewis Wright. Beginning with delicately, mysterious notes, there is a sense of uncertainty for a few seconds before the strident main riff kicks in and the first lyrics arrive. I wonder if it's safe, to escape this place / They said I'm never getting better / It's all in the pills, they help my mind be still / And glue my thoughts back together. Throughout the album, Wright is not afraid to tackle the theme of mental health and here, the struggle with inner turmoil and the façade one might put up to conceal their true feelings are held up in blindingly honest fashion. Wright and Martin share verses and harmonise throughout and it stands out as one of the strongest songs on the album. Musically, Papier-Mâché demonstrates that Attic Theory have become increasingly adept at arranging and structuring their songs. An immense, striking guitar solo soars and exhilarates. Like many of the tracks here, it is held together by beguiling groove laden hard rock tendencies while sections of relative calm and slower tempos allow for brief moments of reflection.
As discussed by Lewis Wright with Hotel Hobbies, much thought has gone into achieving a balance across What We Fear The Most. “The track listing is just as important as the songs themselves, because if an album doesn't flow or doesn't tell the story, it can’t convey the journey.” Illustrating this, some tracks such as Tapestry and Sweet Parasite adopt a slightly more musically dense approach more in keeping with an early-mid 2000s post-grunge, alternative rock sound. Just as intoxicating as the tracks that are tinged with a more straight-ahead classic rock feel, they show that the band can play with volant, high-octane force, as well as melody and thoughtful timbres in more restrained spells. Sweet Parasite sees Wright deliver some of his most barbed lyrics and vocal lines anywhere on the album. Burying, without invitation / Dig your roots, deep into my core / Living, an internal nightmare / Struggling, to fight you anymore / Isolated, barely stable / Imprisoned by your wicked hold / Misguided, victim I enable / Fractured the spine you stole.
Counterbalancing the more incendiary material, Million Little Things is cleverly positioned to bring something different to the emotional odyssey the album provides. Wright elaborates, “That was partly inspired by Pearl Jam’s debut album which I think has one of the best track listings of any album. I think on Ten, Black is track five and it’s in the perfect place. You've had five songs of either high intensity or high emotion and then you bring it down for a bit. That’s like Million Little Things.” Beginning with acoustic guitars tenderly weaving with Wright’s more muted but heartfelt vocals, the track builds with small, intricate steps. Dripping with a sense of loneliness, desperation and existential reflection, the lyrics depict someone grappling with the chaos of life, and the yearning for meaning against a backdrop of the mundane. As the Million Little Things collect upon the protagonist’s shoulders, the overwhelming number of small burdens combine to feel insurmountable, yet paradoxically insignificant. Theres only chaos left, and the damage done / A million little things and none / Please don’t take me yet, am I far too gone? / A million little things… and none! As each problem builds, the song reaches a resounding climax and the sonic blend of the three guitarists once again adds an incredible depth to Attic Theory’s sound as the rhythm section combines in grandiose style. Dare To Dream and Your Light (which features a particularly impassioned chorus) further demonstrate the bands understanding of the importance of dynamic range, both employing the strategy of quiet verse and louder choruses.
What We Fear The Most is Attic Theory’s shot at the title. “We tried to write an album where every song, except one, could be a single,” says Wright. That exception to the rule is penultimate track A Brand New Burden which does indeed feel more like an album track, using a deliberately harsher approach to production and the sonic palate it utilises. Nonetheless, this variation in style is immensely satisfying and the dirtier, grittier sound allows Wright to deliver his lyrics via the most venomous and vitriolic vocals to be found on the album. Dust in my eyes, from desert sands / Cuts on my feet, from the broken glass / On my hands and knees, is where you've always wanted me. The riffs are meatier and the guitar solos more free-spirited and uncontained. What We Fear The Most is an excellent hard melodic rock album but on A Brand New Burden, the band completely releases the reins and another track of this nature would have been most welcome.
For Wright, the lyrics on the album are incredibly emotional. “This collection of raw and honest songs delves into the depths of human emotions, touching upon themes of loss, heartbreak, and the struggles we all face in life.” Nowhere is his personal approach more applicable than on the haunting final track, The Legacy. “That one is about leaving your mark on the world. That's one of the reasons why it’s the last song. It was also inspired by having surgery. I was thinking if my voice goes, what have I left behind? I wanted to say, if I didn't do another album, at least I have The Legacy done. I wanted to be pure and as open as possible with that one. It wasn't referring to like me passing. It was referring to losing my voice.” With exquisite vocal contributions from Lucy Ellen (recently appointed as the band’s new bass player), The Legacy ends the album on something of a cliffhanger. My last words spoken, are a gentle serenade / A symphony of sentiment, before I start to fade / My last words spoken, are a gentle serenade / A melody of memories before I start to fade. The Legacy is a beautifully structured track that finds a glorious balance between lamenting lyrics, mellifluous guitars, warm synths and absorbing percussive embellishments, without ever becoming overly sentimental.
A long time in the making, Attic Theory deserve much praise for their commitment to the composition and eventual release of What We Fear The Most – the album was delayed once again from December 2023 due to production issues. Considering the personal traumas he has faced, Wright’s vocals – which hover somewhere between an amalgamation of Adam Gontier of Saint Asonia (and formerly Three Days Grace), Brent Smith of Shinedown and a dash of Chris Cornell – are, at different points on the album, muscular, inventive and uplifting, backed by astute, impactful and energetic instrumentalists. It is too simple to class Attic Theory as a post-grunge alt-rock band as they encompass more within their aural appetite. Several of the songs will stick in the listener’s mind within very few listens meaning What We Fear The Most will appeal to any fan of well produced (in this case by Loïc Gaillard), melodic, thought-provoking (due to the themes of adversity, resilience and determination) and irresistibly catchy hard rock music. Climb up to the attic….
What We Fear The Most is released on 26th April 2024
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