October 28th, 2010 
James Shotwell 
Artist: Atomic Tom
Album: The Moment
Genre: indie rock
I’ve experienced a lot of pretty sweet things in my life, but Atomic Tom gave me the unique chance to hear great British pop/rock from… Brooklyn? That’s right; the four piece group that became a YouTube sensation with their NYC subway iPhone performance is an amazing mixture of current day pop sensibility with some noticeable UK overtones. The Moment is a 35 minute ear bud bopper that features solid song writing with JUST enough allusion to some bands you already like to make it a surefire hit. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a collection of rip-offs. As I listen, I hear head-nods to Billy Idol, The Cure, Kaiser Chiefs and U2 but never once thought “This is something I’ve heard before.” (And yes I know U2 is Irish. Shut up, it’s close enough.)
Standout tracks for me were “Let Let Go Tonight, “Red Light Warning Sign,” and “I’m Coming After You”. They all contain a subtle dose of originality I enjoyed and are just fun tracks. The album opener is a hook machine with sweeping synth and doses of creepy guitar distortion. It really showcases every member in the band well and is a sturdy introduction. “Red Light Warning Sign” has a somewhat bizarre verse structure that makes the chorus break in with an unprecedented bang. It’s a dance groove gone wrong in the best way possible. “I’m Coming After You” is a track gunning for Billy Idol’s heart. If you’re a “White Wedding” fan, you’re going to have a tough time resisting this little guy. Pulling the
80’s rock vibe is really a team effort here with singer Luke White’s raspy baritone combined with Philip Galtizine’s fat bass lines, Tobias Smith’s driving dance beat and guitarist Eric Espiritu’s atmospheric verse parts and appropriate solo near the end.
The Moment’s other tracks are varying blends of light rock and ballads. They show that Atomic Tom isn’t a one trick pony of danceable grooves and hair-era throwbacks. Tracks like “The Moment” and “We Were Never Meant To Be” are slow, sincere songs that still manage to maintain the lively style Atomic Tom creates. The one drawback I had was the album’s track arrangement. It was an “up, down, up” mixture that kept me from really finding a groove and gives The Moment a few seconds of schizophrenia. On the bright side, great songs on an album even in a bad order still leave you with an album full of great songs.
Score: 7/10
Review by Eric Dexter
- 2015’s Most Underrated Films - December 29, 2015
- Passing The Torch: The End Of An Era For UTG - December 1, 2015
- UTG PREMIERE: Before The Streetlights – “Private Browser” - November 26, 2015
Posted in 
Tags: 
Thanks for such a great interview Eric. I think you hit every nail on the head and dead on. It is nice to see people like you appreciate one of my favorite bands.
Just goes to show that everyone has different preferences. The ones you named are my least favorite tracks lol. My FAVORITE thing about Atomic Tom is their beautiful ambient tracks like We Were Never Meant To Be, Play That Dirty Girl and This Is How We Like To End. So naturally, I think the track arrangement of the album is perfect. In fact, given that the majority of the tracks have this kind of ambient feel and the fact that their live shows are focused on ambient, melodic intensity, I would say that this is their main sound, as opposed to the “fun tracks”. Just my take…