The rate of Atwood‘s improvement as a band over their three recent releases has been quite startling. Moulding themselves from an Academy Is… rip-off into a band which crosses elements of The Maple State, Mae and Taking Back Sunday, these Shrewsbury kids are really beginning to find their feet. While ‘Clutching At Straws’ is not wholly original it does showcase very strong songwriting skills – something which did hinder the band during their earlier incarnations – and excellent production. A spell with Jim Turner in the Waiting Rooms has certainly helped the band no end – ‘Cameras’ is nicely jazzy with a foot-stomping riff and a re-recorded version of ‘Superheroes…’ sounds all the better for a makeover. Atwood deserve the plaudits imply because they’ve grown so much as a band, taking on board advice and ironing out all the imperfections. This is a good, fun record – well done boys.
