Atomic Tom, composed of lead vocalist Luke White, Philip Galitzine on bass, drummer Tobias Smith, and guitarist Eric Espiritu, performed  at Mercury Lounge last night in NYC to a frenzied crowd. Opening for Atomic Tom were The Dance Party and Lion of Ido, both bands which were a little recklessly dramatic, coating on layers and layers of instrumental wizardry to create authentic pop rock. However there is a reason Atomic Tom was the main show, a fact recognized by the fans who shouted back the lyrics to Atomic Tom’s first released single, and most popular song, “Take Me Out”.

Atomic Tom-Take Me Out by BestNewBandscom

The lyrics of their songs have a romantic underbelly despite the hard-rock/electronica exterior, which is a nice departure from the norm. Only one of their songs, “Maybe I’m Wrong” , follows the more traditional sad song/sad sound structure, where White laments, “So now you’re lonely /Pretend nothing’s wrong /Surrounded by memories /That string you along /Disguising your purpose /To get back at me /And let me be honest /You’re so good to see”.

The songs covered by Atomic Tom for their show are all from their debut 2010 LP release The Moment (sold on iTunes). The band is able to connect to the audience in a big and very real way. Their performance seems a little rehearsed, and the quality of the music is a spot-on record sound which is a little unnerving. It’s nice to have a live show really reflect the crowd and have the band evolve to the venue and the night. Although consistency is key when identifying a great band you also want a little bit of soul, which isn’t something calculable but is definitely palpable.

The song which was best delivered, and (surprise, surprise) was my favorite song was, “We Were Never Meant To Be”. The song best displayed the vocals, lyrics, beat and all-around heft of Atomic Tom. Something else that’s great about their LP is that the songs are a continuation of one another, but complement each other, so you can listen to all the tracks almost like you would read a story. Go ahead, try it.