Admiral Albatross is an art collective from Te Whanganui-A-Tara, banding together in 2019 as a group of creatives sharing a mutual spirit of free and open collaboration without limits. ‘S’OK’ is the collective’s second EP, a tight-sounding indie/alternative rock effort. The four tracks tell listeners about the conscious mind’s fight against its judgement and the individual struggle one might have to deal with in artistry.

Created by six members of Admiral Albatross in Nigel Martinez (vocals, guitars), Lucas Ryan (vocals, guitars), Jordan Ross (drums), Shaun Finlay-Lintern (guitars), Terry Liu (guitars) and Zoe Sutton (synths/samples), ‘S’OK’ combines bouncy alternative-rock with the ballad-esque feel of soft rock songs from the late 1970s. 

Things kick off with Standing Alone, a tight alt-rock tune that describes the internal struggle with artistry and struggling to find inspiration for one’s creation. Embracing the indie rock vibes the band is going for the song has a tight intro, booming melodic bass and funky synth lines. 

U Don’t Try is the best track on this EP. Reminiscent of songs that feature in the EA Sports FIFA video soundtrack (highly anticipated and extremely popular with the game’s players), U Don’t Try is an anthem that scolds the demons within and summons the conscious’ unhinged side. The aggressively tight drums paired with angsty vocals and the eventual release of the chorus is truly euphoric, well-written alternative rock with flavours of midwest emo throughout. It’s the kind of song you can play full blast in your car with the windows down, screaming the ‘la la la la la’s alongside the band. 

Are U There is a good simmer down after that high energy, replacing the synths and aggressive drums with acoustic guitar and a more relaxed, soft rock feel. Catchily reminiscent of Tom Petty’s song I Won’t Back Down, it talks about feeling disconnected and absent from the conscience. 

The second single and final song from this EP uplifts the listener who has been listening to the internal struggles of the songwriter. More than Animal reassures, encouraging us to stop wasting time and make the most of the opportunities of life we have at hand. It’s melodic and rhythmic, providing a pleasant listening experience for more casual listeners, yet still a powerful closing number that solidifies that positive change can be made within anyone who seeks it.

‘S’OK’ provides so much information and music in a short amount of time, while moderating musical levels in having two high-energy, catchy songs in the first half of the EP, then finishing it off with two softer, mellow ballads. Admiral Albatross know what they’re doing and the band members complement each other well , finding a good balance in holding down the rhythm of the music while having various solos over the top.