The Academic – Sitting Pretty | Album Review

Track Listing

Pushing Up Daises
Don’t Take It Personally
What’s Wrong With Me
My Very Best
This Is Your Life
Homesick
Heartbreak’s Where It’s At
Do What You Want
Step My Way
Let Go Of My Heart
Rain
Buying Smokes

This is post-punk at its very best, and it’s designed by Irish act The Academic. The group refuse to settle for mediocre arrangements and melodies, and as such the band have upped their game with Sitting Pretty. This collection boasts so many anthems and guitar driven tracks that it’s hard to choose a pivotal option, though that shows the diversity of this outfit.

By blending well rounded instrumentals with thought-provoking lyrics, the band has developed a compendium worthy of being their best yet. Thrilling at times, and melancholic at others, the songs interconnect on such a level where emotion opts to be the common theme. This isn’t a bad thing, as emotion centres around everything these days, and it cuts deeper.

The band is definitely capable of pushing the limits of their sound, and Sitting Pretty wouldn’t seem out of place in the 90’s scene where these types of sounds blossomed. But, we’re in the midst of modernism, so the band has the key devices to create an even better output.

So many sounds have been injected into this, and The Academic know they’ve put out a record which has been proudly sourced from their own heads. 13 songs make up the LP, and ‘My Very Best’ tops the bill. So anthematic, it’s more of a slow burn than an impactful track, but there’s enough oomph to keep the interest.

‘Homesick’ rallies home a softer approach, and that guitar presence echoes throughout. Lonely hearts break and hope dies, while the vocals do not erupt at any moment. It’s a gratifying song, one that tells a story of losing focus on someone you adore.

‘Let Go Of My Heart’ is another well-versed song, as the guitars and drumbeats interweave to create a rowdy, but well-developed contribution, where the lyrics describe being on the brink.

The Academic has created an album that focuses heavily on the essential components, which are melody, instrumental muscle, and the wonder of storytelling.

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