The Academic release 'Sitting Pretty', out now
Irish indie rock band The Academic released their second full length album Sitting Pretty, following the release of two EP’s over the past two years. Coming in at 45 minutes, the album offers an energetic, honest retelling of figuring out life in your twenties and all of the ups and downs that come along with it.
Consisting of singer Craig Fitzgerald, brothers Matthew and Stephen Murtagh on guitar and bass respectively, and Dean Gavin on drums, their latest album is their most refined sound as they display confidence and ease throughout the tracklist.
The album is described by the band as more mature, neurotic, and unpredictable than their previous work, while maintaining the highly energetic nature of their previous releases. Thematically dealing with navigating life in your twenties, the album asks what it means to be an adult as well as emphasizes how important it is to know yourself and check in with yourself during such a strange part in one’s life.
The album starts out at the highest energy point with the opening track Pushing Up Daisies followed by Don’t Take It Personally, both of which have infectious choruses that you can’t help but sing along to. The backbones of the song are high energy drumming from Dean Gavin which is rounded out with guitar and bass, creating a sound you have to bop your head around to.
What’s Wrong With Me has to be my personal favourite off of the album, with perhaps the coolest bridge I’ve heard in a long time. If only being slightly too relatable, the song captures the defining feeling throughout the beginning of your twenties, total uncertainty of what is going on in your life.
Described by the band as “the emotional epicenter of the album”, My Very Best captures the energy and the emotion that underlies the entire album. Initially released as one of the singles off of the album, the song gives listeners a taste of both the defining sound and themes throughout the tracklist.
This Is Your Life offers the perfect concert sing along, consisting of a light dreamy sound and bright chorus. Maintaining the light dreamy sound, the track is followed by Homesick which is one of the more thoughtful tracks on the album, full of honest and genuine emotion.
Moving into an almost disco-esc beat, Heartbreak’s Where It’s At is full of layered vocals that round out into a sound you can’t help but dance along to. Step My Way is an album standout, described by the band as “like nothing we’ve ever put on an album before”, the song is light and upbeat but offers a completely different sound compared to their previous releases.
Let Go Of My Heart, Do What You Want, and Right Where You Left Me all keep the high energy that the fans are accustomed to and the band sounds completely at ease busting through upbeat, groovy tracks.
The album is rounded out with Rain, consisting of gorgeous vocals and unparalleled depth compared to the rest of the album. Finishing off the album, Buying Smokes is the most unpredictable track but leaves listeners both completely satisfied and wanting more as it descends into madness and then abruptly stops with the final click of the recording tape.
Catch The Academic as they take off on the Sitting Pretty tour, kicking off in Ireland on February 14 and moving through Europe and then onto North America in April.
WORDS BY ALEX STEFAN