Chase Atlantic just dropped their highly anticipated third album titled BEAUTY IN DEATH, making it their first album release under their new label Fearless Records. Covid-19 did not stop these 3 ambitious individuals from making their album as they created multiple different makeshift studios in their L.A. home.
Photo: Jordan Knight
They started this new era back in August of 2020 when they announced their first single ‘OUT THE ROOF’, which was a track that was made and recorded in only one night along with filming the music video the next day in the Mojave Desert. The track presented a high-energy, woozy trap feel for their fans as the whole purpose was to create a fun track – that’s exactly what members Mitchel Cave, Clinton Cave and Christian Anthony achieved.
The second single from the album took a completely different approach. ‘MOLLY’ is a blissful, melancholic track showcasing the reality of letting go of someone that you deeply loved and cared about. The band used flowers accompanied by a beautiful animated girl – created by Chris Shelley – to accurately give a visual of what the song feels like. These two tracks perfectly set up the rollercoaster that was going to be their third album.
Artwork by Chris Shelley (@create)
The album started with the hardcore, attention grabbing track titled ‘PARANOID’ which quickly became a fan favorite. This track immediately pulls you in, leaving you on the tip of your toes from start to finish. The track had everything you could have ever wanted for your ideal edgy track including a beautifully executed guitar solo done by Tim Henson accompanied by Mitchel Cave showing his powerful range in vocals, making it the perfect mix for an opening track. This is the type of track that gets stuck in your head after only listening once and that's exactly what happened to me. I was still thinking heavily about this track even when I was on the last song. Chase Atlantic choosing this track as their opening was truly the best song they could have picked to open. It engulfs the listener into the music, making them eager to know what's next.
This album is filled with hypnotic sounds, which is just another example of why no one is doing it quite like Chase Atlantic. They included well-known instruments such as Clinton Cave's saxophone solos and astonishing production throughout, making each song come to life in their own beautiful way. For example, in the second track ‘PLEASEXANNY’ you can hear the sound of a plane flying by when Mitchel Cave sings the line “Flew to Atlanta, On the way I got high” which adds that extra little detail that can make it even more enjoyable for the listener.
Chase Atlantic does not shy away from incorporating multiple different genres in their music from R&B to rock to elements of pop, which shows how much diversity their music has and does not stick to one sound. With edgy tracks such as ‘OUT THE ROOF’ and ‘ALEYUH’ it is perfectly balanced with the rawness of tracks such as ‘EMPTY’ and ‘I THINK I’M LOST AGAIN’. Chase Atlantic showed a whole new, raw, real and genuine side of themselves that their fans and listeners can find comfort in knowing they aren't alone – which has been a constant theme with them for years. What I found most interesting is that they brought in long-time friends De'Wayne and Xavier Mayne for the energetic track ‘PLEASE STAND BY’ which is a break from the rawness in the album and the listener can dance to. Both of them fit the track perfectly as De'Wayne opened with an impeccable rap verse that set the theme and tone for the rest of the song. De'Wayne is not new to the scene as they did a song together back in 2018 titled ‘ADIOS’. Xavier also fit the song incredibly well, making it even more fun and enjoyable to listen to.
The closing track titled ‘WASTED’ was a beautiful and dreamy way to wrap up the album. This track is nothing like they have ever created before and definitely stands out on the album, despite it being a closing track. One thing that stuck out to me was the pouring sound effect used in the song, which yet again brings the track to life. This track puts you on a cloud from start to finish between the use of production to the fade out in the end where it sounds like the wind is howling. I especially appreciated this part because to me it was like a way of the band saying “Goodbye, thank you for listening”. The opening and closing tracks are polar opposites of each other, which just shows exactly how diverse and unpredictable this band is.
This album was an overall surreal, blissful, euphoric and melancholy experience. This is one of their most diverse yet cohesive albums yet and accurately showcases just who exactly Chase Atlantic is and what they're all about. It is strong in every aspect from production to vocals to storytelling in both the lyrics and the order of the tracks. There seems to be a song for everyone on this album and a song for every mood, which just perfectly ties this album together. There is a mix of musical hugs with a reminder that you are not alone, to letting yourself completely loose while enjoying it with your friends or during your private concert by yourself at 3am. Chase Atlantic is a band that I think everyone should check out at least once in your life. They focus on topics that the media and other artists tend to shy away from, which their listeners can connect to on a personal level and find comfort in. The amount of time and energy that went into the making of this album is clearly evident throughout all the tracks, especially considering this album was made at home. Their dedication to this industry is also evident and the release of this album just shows that anything is possible, even during a worldwide pandemic.
Listen to BEAUTY IN DEATH on Apple Music and Spotify now. Follow Chase Atlantic on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Written by Emily Stahl