Atlas Genius’s debut album, “When It Was Now,” has a very unique feel to it, with its synthesizer-like sounds, beachy guitars, swaying vocals by Keith Jeffery and lyrics loaded with life lessons used mostly in alternative songs. I was impressed with this album and did not realize how much I would really love the band’s wholesome sound.

“Electric,” the album’s first track, starts out with an electronic pop beat which then leads you to the chorus. The chorus, in turn, gives the song a convincing ‘80s feel. The lyrics to “Electric” are quite dynamic: “Don’t pretend like you’re up in a tree/ the future’s not where it used to be.”

The song “Back Seat” has a different vocal vibe. Jeffery’s vocals here are incredibly relaxed and come to him with ease; his voice captures the spirit of the song and what the band’s trying to convey. “Back Seat” seems to portray the essence of a young relationship. The rhythmic guitars and sleepy vocals remind me of a song that would be on a Phoenix album.

One of my favorite songs on the album is “Trojans.” It was Atlas Genius’s lead hit single and I now understand why everyone loves it so much. The band does an impressive job of mixing the melody within the swaying vocals, almost like a puzzle of some sort. “Trojans” sounds like a song you would hear down by the ocean at a beach bash with all your friends. The lyrics are extremely visual and reminiscent of a change.

Around the end of the album, the songs start to lose some variety. The track “Centred On You” has more of a chill vibe, but it’s a little too sleepy for my liking. “Don’t Make A Scene,” meanwhile, continues the band’s trend of strong, swingy guitars with that catchy synthesizer-like sound. The band never fails to deliver an insanely catchy rhythm, that’s for sure.

The album ends with “Symptoms,” a track with a constantly-changing chorus that almost pulls you in. “Symptoms” seems to be about a recurring relationship that never ends up working out, with lyrics like, “Now we see what we’re gonna forget/never know what we’re gonna regret/like a circle round and round we go…”

For their first full-length album, Atlas Genius came out strong with their own sound, their own atmosphere and with their own stories to tell. I have to give them props for staying true to their vision and for not letting mainstream interests kill their creativity.

4 Dolphins out of 5

Tracks to download: “If So,” “Back Seat,” “Trojans,” “Through the Glass,” “Symptoms” and “When It Was Now”

Tracks to avoid: “Electric,” “On A Day,” “Centred On You,” “Don’t Make A Scene” and “All These Girls”