Some may have heard of Indie Poppowerhouse Picture Atlantic, but manywere unaware of their connection to DeAnza College. Drummer and co-foundingmember John Tran is in his freshman yearat De Anza. He is taking math, astronomy,music and human sexuality.
“I personally think De Anza is awesomebecause now I have the power to chooseclasses I like, while doing it around mypersonal life,” Tran said.
The Santa Clara outfit blends togetheran enticing mix of unforgettable popmelodies, catchy hooks and an overallpassion that exudes throughout their entiredelivery.
Their debut EP “Change isWelcome,” released in 2006,contains six tracks that display anincredible amount of charm andmagic.
In the song “Nablus,” vocalistAlexander Bartunek immediatelytakes hold of your imagination,gently singing “candy red andopaque skies helps me see the colorin your eyes…” He releases a vocalintensity unmatched by many inhis genre today. “Every OceansTide” has an astoundingly innocentfeeling to it, carrying the weight ofthin air.
Picture Atlantic’s most recentsingle, “So Long To Sorrow,” hasall of the elements to form a perfectPicture Atlantic song. With four anda half minutes of soaring vocals,punchy guitar and a drumbeat youcan dance to, it can’t go wrong.
From the song’s percussivebeginning and Alex’s in-your-facesinging it moves into a beautifulchorus that soars high above themusic and into the heart of thelistener. Much like the song says,with this offering, Picture Atlantic certainlymakes us feel as though “this is where wesay there’s hope for tomorrow, this is wherewe say so long to sorrow…”
The band’s live show lives up to thequality presented by the musicians on therecordings. Amidst flickering blue andwhite lights, four men turn into one unit.They put forth one of the most captivatingand fervent performances by a local bandin recent memory. As soon as it ended Iwas ready for more.
To get a glimpse of them in action youcan catch them playing shows in the BayArea at least four times a month. Their nextshow will be on March 23 at the South HillsChurch with Ashes, Novice, One SmallStep For Man and Facing New York.
