Atlas Genius
Inanimate Objects

They are not innovative, they are not special, they are not technically impressive, they do not stand out in the crowd, but damn, they are incredibly likable! The Atlas Genius are a modest pop project conceived and led by two brothers from Adelaide. Considering the band's birthplace, these two brothers did not have high expectations regarding the success of their first album When It Was Now, a work that took a good five years. From simple demos with catchy melodies (Trojans), they moved on to writing studio albums, achieving a level of success that, when compared to more famous bands of the genre, is niche, but still arrived unexpectedly for the duo. We left them with a solid effort comprised of eleven tracks, each sounding different from the last while roughly maintaining the same atmospheres and instrumentation. Over the years, they managed to improve even the variety of instruments at their disposal, recording an equally interesting album. Inanimate Objects is an ambitious second album that explores various forms of pop, effectively conveying the minimal experimentation the Geniuses wanted to attempt. Upon its release, it made many frown due to its banality in some parts (Refugees) and introspection in others (Friends with Enemies). I won't hide that I too was not entirely convinced by this album at first, but after multiple listens, my appreciation grew exponentially. What struck me most was the maturity with which these two guys tackled certain points, first of all the introductory track (The Stone Mill), which shows they have finally learned to weave an understated opening track with an instrumental crescendo on a velvety voice to a more energetic, powerful, and danceable one like the lead single Molecules. Their evolution also continues with the experimentation of new styles (the mid-album track Friendly Apes is fun, and even more so the fresh The City We Grow, whose synthesized strings inevitably remind us of the Smallpools, another niche neo-brit-pop band), although there are also more animated moments (Stockholm and A Perfect End, the latter born from an electro experiment with Big Data) and the reflective ones, perhaps missing in the first album (Where I Belong and Balladino). The best, however, is created when Atlas Genius find themselves alone, guitar and voice, speaking spontaneously without having to think about the words they pronounce but letting them come out of their mouth as they please. Then they start talking about love, distance, ink, time, and nothing seems to matter more than memories and happy thoughts from the past to be happy in the future. The masterpiece of the album is certainly the concluding Levitate, the most intimate and reserved song ever written by the brothers. To conclude, an album perhaps less fresh than the previous one (possibly tiring out with the triptych Friends with Enemies - Where I Belong - Balladino) but still remains very enjoyable and of good quality, with improved lyrics and the group's maturation certainly deserving of praise. It is hoped they continue this evolution with a third album worthy of note.