After much anticipation, Brighton’s Beach Riot finally launch their debut album Sub Atomic Party Cool. Seriously, the fever for something substantial has been building since the release of their self-titled EP back in 2018. Finally, we’re given something to dive into. An album that documents everything the band has experienced so far in their careers, with influences stemming from Punk to Post-Punk and everything in-between. It is one of the biggest debut albums of the year.
Kicking off the record is ‘B.A.D.’ the song that existed as a demo when band members Rory and Cami were mere strangers to one another. It is harsh on the ears as it retains a lot of its demo-ruggedness with large walls of feedback heard through crunching guitars and drums. Already the record has us in its grip, and from the driving rhythms of ‘Wrong Impression’ that follows, it’s clear that things are only just getting started.
“Beach Riot is what you get when a gang of people go through some heavy stuff together and literally hold each other in the saddle,” says Jim. “It has been far from an easy road to get to this point, but who’d have thought that four people’s combined passion for something as intangible as making sounds together could have given us such a profound sense of purpose and belonging?”
One thing you spot right away is how varied Sub Atomic is. Each song comes with their own personality, packed with all sorts of little hooks to help them stand out while contributing to the overall OH FUCK YEAH listening experience of the album. ‘Modern Dinosaur’ is a heavy hitting number that takes a swipe at outdated people via slippery harmonies that fall into the mind, while ‘Medicate For Success’ takes the direct approach at melting your face off with noise. It is a full on, balls to the world tune that I find myself returning to over and over because of how good it is.
‘Sofa Surfer’ stutters its way through the speakers with female vocals leading things on top of its glitchy instrumental. The stop-start rhythm is fantastic at building the tension throughout, which pays off with a glorious finale that allows all that energy to erupt. It bleeds through to ‘Blush’ and ‘Serial Scruff’ to make sure things end on a very high note.
Sub Atomic Party Cool is a superb album. Beach Riot have delivered something that exceeds the heavy anticipation that was lying in wait for it. Its main focus is filling the mind with noise, and it does that in the most chaotic way. It’s excellent.