Album Review: Atticus Lane ‘There’s Nothing Wrong With Me Pt.1’
Eclectic excellence from Atticus Lane.
Based out of Greensboro N.C, Goat City Records is a label mostly correlated with various rap acts. Hidden amongst a talented group of admittedly less divergent musicians is a genre transcending gem. The 21 year old alternative artist Atticus Lane (Benjamin Radford) has been carving himself a niche spot amongst his label mates with a unique union of influences ranging from rap to hardcore.
Enter the Charlotte natives debut full length There’s Nothing Wrong With Me, Pt.1.
With 7 full tracks and 2 well placed interludes, this album’s an easy listen that smoothly weaves in shades of various genres. It’s inclusion of R&B, rap, pop punk, alternative rock and hardcore show off the talent this 21 year old is working with while also paying homage to the plethora who artists who’d have sparked his interest in making music. This all culminates in a debut record that contains more than a couple top track front runners.
The albums first track “The Things That We Believe” is probably the best example of the Pt.1‘s overall theme of depth. This track’s a freestyle in every sense of the word. The song starts with rap style spoken words overlapping the calm chords of an acoustic guitar. It weaves its way into a number of different styles before it’s crashing crescendo into the hardcore genre complete with emotional screams over the iconic riffs of an electric guitar.
The albums standout track comes in the form of “Infinity Train”. Initially debuting alongside Goat City associates on The Dharma Tape, Vol.1, this has probably been the most powerful weapon in Radford’s arsenal for a while now. The full length’s fourth track is purely acoustic and feels like the most genuine offering Nothing Wrong With Me puts forward. The constant buildup and layered screams underneath this tracks solemn tone elevate it from being just another acoustic song and transform it into something powerful.
In contrast, “Coca Cola” is an early contender for the albums most underrated offering. Atticus ditches the acoustic guitar in favor of rapping over an effortlessly cool beat with an experimental indie vibe complete with an electric outro. “I love life but I’m feeling too damn old for this shit”, look no further for an over it all break from the more emotional tone of the album as a whole.
Overall this is a strong debut that really shows off the broad range of talent the Goat City representative possesses. The future looks bright for the 21 year old artist and we’ll be waiting patiently for the sophomore CD to drop.
Until then be sure to get in on the ground floor and give There’s Nothing Wrong With Me Pt.1 a listen below.
