White Light Riot - Atomism Review
by Dan MacIntosh
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White Light Riot's Atomism is a tough little work to figure out. It should be beloved by power-pop fans everywhere. After all, vocalist Mike Schwandt's swoon-inducing vocals have all the charm of Rooney's Robert Schwartzman, while this band's bright, melodic rock never fails to hook the listener in. But Atomism is ultimately forgettable, like a finger that -- no matter how hard it's pressed against the inkpad and paper – doesn't leave a visible impression.
Producer Brent Sigmeth might be the man to blame for this musical invisibility. There's just too much sheen throughout. So much so, in fact, it's hard to distinguish the various instruments from each other. It's as though a colorful mural has been painted over with pure white. And it's so bright one must shield his/her eyes.
A case in point is the track "Grey Divide." On it, there's a guitar solo that is so blended with other musical elements, it comes off like mushy, string-y horn blasts, instead. White Light Riot's lyrics are another glaring problem; they're just too vague and arty to have any impact. The listener doesn't want to sing along because he/she has no idea what Schwandt's going on about. Morris Day once memorably told Prince in Purple Rain, "Nobody understands your music but you." And the same can be said of White Light Riot, sadly.
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White Light Riot - Atomism
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