Released 23 August

Hopeless Records

Since their inception and through each new album released, Stand Atlantic have consistently grown musically and pushed boundaries further than anyone else in their realm of alternative/pop. If you came here expecting a certain type of music to come from Stand Atlantic, you’re in for a bad time. For their fourth chapter, WAS HERE is extending the band’s style even further than vocalist Bonnie Fraser herself even thought possible. If however, you have enthusiastically embraced each record on its own terms, well – you’re in for the band’s wildest era yet!

‘Wake Up, Sit Down, Shut Up’ is a call to arms, sounding the alarm to fans to take in this new batch of songs with an open mind. Settling into quite the alluring introduction while steadily building momentum through glitchy guitars and deep bass sounds, this opener sets the path for what’s to come. By that, I mean, Stand Atlantic’s records are as unpredictable as the next. ‘Frenemies‘ offers sparks of effortless pop sensibility that swirl around punchy melodies that simply pop. While the album’s leading single ‘GIRL$‘ increases the momentum tenfold into an explsoive anthem of empowerment, pinpointing the band as everyone’s “wet dream desire” and with the inclusion of PVRIS and Bruses, that’s exactly what we’re given.

So far, the album’s flow is edgy and fresh, but is saving the bigger moments for later on. ‘Freakin Out’ definitely picks up the ante though, by packing in more punch in the rock department and blending this in with a whirlwind of brassy jazz elements. Throughout all that high-energy fun though, we do witness Bonnie find comfort in the music and lyrics when her external world is seemingly spirals out of control. In that sense, this is one of her deepest cuts and most expressive works yet, and from this point on, WAS HERE is a journey of mental exhaustion and overall self-discovery.

Next up, she’s joined by US pop punk star Sueco on ‘Nose Bleed‘ for an easy-listen, contemporary pop punk track. Sonically, it felt a little simplistic and got overly repetitive. While the song didn’t stray too far beyond what the average pop punk listener is used to. It is one for the OG STAT fan that just wants to hear some familiarity.

A theme where Stand Atlantic has never really ventured to before is the love song era. ‘Love U Anyway‘ delivers a song soaked with heartfelt melodies and catchiness whilst still giving us a progressive sound that’s like nothing else heard before. Behind ‘GIRL$‘, this one is toptier and a step up from the previous record’s ‘bloodclot‘.

‘Kissin’ Killer Cobras’ might actually be my favourite track ever released by Stand Atlantic. It enters the room with distorted guitars, sending shockwaves of heavy metal inbetween fiery beats. No doubt this tune will become an instant favourite for many listeners and this party continues on into ‘WARZONE‘. Between these two, that don’t give a fuck attitude we’ve become familiar with on songs like ‘Deathwish‘ is back and sounding even more refined.

While ‘Criminal‘ felt underwhelming initially, through each listen I grew on this track more and more. Adding a touch of Australia’s vibrant metal scene to the mix with Polaris’ Jamie Hails, it sits nicely inbetween the irreverent chaos of this record. Through hardened expression of pure fury, they’re at a point where they don’t make music for anyone but themselves and for anyone else who will listen.

It’s not all about lashing out at the world though. A newfound confidence and strength has suddenly appeared and it’s almost like Bonnie has uncovered a new side of herself that the world is yet to witness. The retrospective ‘17‘ delivers a sound that stylistically feels rockier and grungier than anything else heard in 2024. It’s a hot take of Stand Atlantic treading into the bigger rock arenas and we definitely want more of this. If they made a future record like this, I don’t think anyone would be mad at all.

The back half of this record offers plenty more fun, measured in heavy pop beats that drip through rock-tinged goodness. ‘G.A.G’ (Girl’s A Gun) is a sickly sweet tune of summery pop blended with heartfelt vulnerability. And if you found ‘Kissin Killer Cobras’ earlier fun, then you’re going to froth ‘Rockstar‘. The opening bars of tropical EDM blended with indie pop mentally sent me to an island under the sun mood. I definitely vibed with this way too hard.

Following this up with the previously released ‘Sex on the Beach‘ and ‘Kill[her]‘ does go together like a tequila and lime. Through its bass and electronic fuses, this track was made for partying. Fiercely confident but not overly cocky, this is Stand Atlantic 2.0 (or should we say 4.0?)

WAS HERE is as fresh and edgy as anything Stand Atlantic have done previously. However, once again, they flexed their talents in blurring musical boundaries, focused inwards and have concocted a sound that feels grimey, progressive and extravagant all in one. Cookie cutter is not in the Stand Atlantic vocabulary and it never will be. This is a record that sits and sounds pretty on its own and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Rating: 9/10

Review by Tamara May

Pre-save WAS HERE here

Stand Atlantic – WAS HERE tracklisting:

1. WAKE UP, SIT DOWN, SHUT UP

2. FRENEMIES

3. GIRL$ (featuring PVRIS and Bruses)

4. FREAKIN’ OUT

5. NOSE BLEED (featuring Suecco)

6. LOVE U ANYWAY

7. KISSIN’ KILLER COBRAS

8. WARZONE

9. CRIMINAL (featuring Polaris)

10. 17

11. 17 // REPRISE [ONE TAKE]

12. G.A.G

13. ROCKSTAR

14. SEX ON THE BEACH

15. KILL[HER]