REVIEW: Atlas Genius return from 5-year hiatus in San Francisco and announce new album ‘End of the Tunnel’
ELECTRO INDIE USED TO RULE THE 2010'S — Bands like Two Door Cinema Club, Youngblood Hawke, and Magic Man defined those years that felt like infinitely long summers. You probably remember (I'm sure of it, actually) Atlas Genius' song "Trojans," the wistful and boppy breakout hit that dominated radio charts long ago. In fact, last February, Atlas Genius' debut album When It Was Now celebrated its 11-year anniversary.
That was in 2013. They dropped their sophomore album Inanimate Objects in 2015, but haven't released a proper album since. It's not like they didn't try – Keith, Michael, and Steven Jeffrey, the brothers who make up Atlas Genius, moved from the states back to Australia to record their third LP in their home studio. Then COVID happened, along with disagreements between the band and the label, and the wait for the third album got longer and longer.
It's been years since I've seen Atlas Genius on any sort of bill. They've always been on my mind, ever since that fateful debut album in 2013, but it wasn't uncommon for great indie bands of 2010s to either fall off or call it quits altogether. Not only has Atlas Genius returned with the same chemistry that makes their records so great with four new singles, they made their first live debut in five years last night in San Francisco and announced (finally!) their third record End of the Tunnel out August 23.
Entering the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco that night was like entering a time capsule. So much smoke from the fog machine. The DJ there played Robyn and Gotye in between sets. Local band Life Size Models opened for them, and they definitely looked like they would've been hipsters 10 years ago.
Atlas Genius themselves, for their first returning show, played it safe with setlists used in past shows. “Stockholm” is their go-to opener. They played covers of “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive and “Don't You Want Me” by The Human League like they’ve done for years. At the end of the night, they closed with “Trojans.”
However, it was the first time any live audience heard their newest singles live. The band performed “Nobody Loves Like You,” “On a Wave,” “Don’t Let Love Be a Stranger,” and “Romans” throughout their set. These tracks have that lust for life in them that perfectly blend with the rest of their discography. It’s a sign that they never stopped making music – these songs are years in the making – and now these songs get to see the light of day.
“I didn’t even know if we were going to do this again, but here we are,” Keith Jeffrey said. He noted uncanny parallels: The first time they toured in the states in 2012 was at the Rickshaw Stop. The last show they did before their hiatus was in San Francisco. I’m sure they didn’t imagine this scenario when they titled their debut When It Was Now, but it makes the title End of the Tunnel all the more fitting.
