2001 – Lit – Atomic

Lit was a one hit wonder from my high school years. Most famous for My Own Worst Enemy, they also put out Zip-Lock and Miserable as well known singles… but after that, for most people, they just faded away. I really enjoyed them, both before and after their rise to fame. So much so that I think their follow up album, Atomic, was one of my favorite albums of all time. I have something positive to say about almost every single track on the album.

It starts out with a crowd cheering, although it’s not a live album – the first track builds the anticipation and introduces Something to Someone, a track which immediately juxtaposes their fame with feelings of being alone.

Track two, The Last Time Again, all about the fun and not-so-fun moments around boozing your brains out and waking up with a hang over. It’s an enteraining song that puts a funny spin on what many would call a serious situation. This is followed up by the track Addicted, which is more about the inability to leave a relationship that you know is bad for you. Lipstick and Bruises follows that up, which, contrary to what your first impressions of the the title might be, is more about the passionate reasons that make it hard to leave someone.

I can’t say enough good things about the other tracks on the album. Happy in the Meantime, Drop D, Sunny Weather, Next Time Around, She Comes… each of these is just another alternative rock love song with more energy than most bands put in to an entire album. Each track could’ve been a success, but the genre was busy being taken over by the emo charts by the time this album was released. Happy In The Meantime is the one departure on the album, which is somewhat slower, acoustic song that you may have heard at least once before. “It’s just another reason why, it all comes down to you and I. We’ll another drink, waste some time with me, we’re happy in the mean time.”

Play this album in your car, with the windows down, and do your best not to enjoy it from beginning to end!