After a back catalogue including a split thrash metal/acoustic blues double album and a covers album with a cover of a film scene with Paul McGann and a metal version of the Popeye theme – not to mention his work in eccentric post-hardcore trio Reuben – Jamie Lenman’s fifth solo album The Atheist finds a unique voice with a markedly less weird indie-pop influenced sound. This new album is bound to split fans by experimenting with a more accessible approach, especially in comparison to his heavy, brooding previous album King of Clubs but there’s still plenty to enjoy.
The Atheist’s opener ‘This Is All There Is’ is the closest the album comes to trying to appease old-school fans of Lenman’s heavier work. With a focus on hard-hitting riffs and anti-religious lyrics building up to a festival sing-along chorus of “This is all there is/Blood and sweat and piss”. The entire track is reminiscent of Lenman’s song ‘Personal’ from Devolver but more in line with this newer album’s style. Duelling guitar riffs from Lenman and new guitarist Jen Hingley, also of False Advertising, along with returning drummer Jack Wrench’s driving beats accentuated with a bouncy cowbell in the pre-chorus make for one of Lenman’s catchiest songs in years.
The album’s lead single Talk Hard is a showcase of Lenman’s songwriting ability through unfamiliar sonic territory, utilising his bandmates to create a poppy, memorable track that stands confidently among his best work and proudly wears its influence from bands like Weezer on its sleeve. With an earworm lead guitar line, a wide, saturated drum sound and positive, encouraging lyrics, this may be the closest Lenman has come to a straightforward, radio-friendly rock track and it’s a damn good one.
If there was one song that shows how far this album is from its predecessor it would have to be ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’. The tender, extremely personal lyrical content dedicated to Jamie Lenman’s wife through a ballard channelling the grandiose melodrama of Queen contrasts so strongly with almost all of his previous work, with intense three part harmonies and soaring guitar solos, rather than the brooding riffs of King of Clubs. In fact, both ‘Lena Don’t Leave Me’ and the track ‘Like Me Better’ from his previous record both approach Lenman’s anxieties about his relationship from very different directions.
Another standout from The Atheist is the track ‘Song On My Tongue’, telling the age-old story of meeting someone you truly hate but who’s music you love. With a Reuben-esque alt-rock riff in the verses and an anthemic, upbeat chorus before culminating in the album’s best guitar solo, taking cues from math rock and Midwest emo bands like American Football with complex, clean tapping.
Towards the back half of the album Lenman gets less positive and far more introspective about his place in the world, this is where The Atheist truly lives up to its name, shifting focus almost entirely towards religion. The tracks ‘This Town Will Never Let Us Go’ and ‘War of Doubt’ exemplify the anti-religious message in very different ways, the former painting a vivid picture of a small town’s misery and asking how a loving God could allow such hardships, the latter acting as a call to arms against religious extremism, using samples to reinforce its message alongside a marching rock bassline and, clean, angular lead guitar lines crescendoing to a dense, swirling closer for the album adding layer upon layer of guitars, vocal harmonies and piano.
Overall The Atheist isn’t Lenman’s most cohesive work but has something that fans of any of the many genres he’s worked in will love. The experimental, indie rock sound shouldn’t turn away listeners expecting another heavy album, there’s plenty of depth to be found here.