Devised by programmer/songwriter Wade Alin and vocalist Lauren Cheatham, The Atomica Project made waves in the chillout/electronic music community with their 2005 debut release, Metropolitan. Based heavily on Alin’s personal experiences in New York, Metropolitan illustrates a compelling story of loss, affliction, collapse and recovery. Fueled by heavy podcast rotation, enthusiastic reviews, and an extensive online following, Metropolitan was considered by many as one of the best independent releases of 2005.
The Atomica Project’s sophomore release, Grayscale, exhibits a more heavily orchestrated, lavish sound that further incorporates organic instrumentation and exemplifies the emotional impact of Lauren Cheatham's delivery. Following the release of Grayscale, the band continued to build their momentum, taking advantage of new formats (USB drive/download) to release two EP's: The 1st In A Series Of Dramatic Events and Overseas. Both EP's were released independently via their own online store/label (www.flagrantrecords.com) and accompanied by tours of the Midwest and East Coast including headlining shows in Chicago, Boston, and New York, as well as an appearance at the 2009 Forward Music Festival.
Throughout the bands travels it was widely assumed that Wade and Lauren were intimate. This misperception inspired the title of their third full-length album, The Non-Affair. Musically, the band elaborates on their previous work with more venturous arrangements and stylistic flirtations with everything from the 1940's to the modern shoe-gaze genre. Lyrically, the songs push further into the intimate spaces of relationships, identity, and change.
Always current and comfortable with the reality of a collapsed music business, The Atomica Project has teamed up with the creative funding site, kickstarter.com. The entire manufacturing process has been fully funded by fans and supporters of the band.
The Non-Affair is available on CD, digital download, and a 1 gigabyte USB drive since February 26, 2010.
Salt
The Atomica Project Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've tried to be your nourishment
But we starve
I've tried to be your confidant
Through my flaws
I've tried to make us leisure class
But we're poor
Yet how easily we fall
To breathe from the inside
The salt of the ocean
The waves are transparent
Strands of emotion
I've tried to be your paramour
But I'm cold
I've tried to be so nonchalant
But I'm bold
I've tried to be the savoir fare
You don't need
I've tried to take your breath away
Yet how easily you breathe
To breathe from the inside
The salt of the ocean
The waves are transparent
Strands of emotion
You can't say I've never tried to love you
You can't say I've never tried to die for you
The Atomica Project's song "Salt" speaks about a failed attempt at a loving relationship. The singer, who seems to be the lover, admits to trying to fulfill different roles in the relationship but despite their efforts, it has always fallen apart. The singer admits to trying to be someone who nourishes the other, someone they can confide in and even someone who can make them feel leisurely but all these attempts have not worked. The singer also tried to be their lover and paramour, someone they can share their love with but this has not worked, perhaps because the singer admits to being "cold" and "nonchalant."
The chorus of the song suggests an alternative to their failed relationship. They praise the beauty of the ocean and suggest that they might find solace in it by indicating they want to "breathe from the inside, the salt of the ocean" and find comfort in the "transparent waves of emotion." The last line of the chorus suggests that the relationship has been so intense that it could kill them or bring them to die, but the singer continues to assert that they did try to love despite the outcome.
Overall, the song speaks to the complexities and difficulties that come with trying to make a relationship work. It acknowledges that love is not always a smooth ride and even when you try your best, it may still not work out for you.
Line by Line Meaning
I've tried to be your nourishment
I attempted to provide you with sustenance and support.
But we starve
However, we are deprived, famished, and lacking.
I've tried to be your confidant
I attempted to be your trustworthy ally and listener.
Through my flaws
Despite my imperfections and shortcomings.
I've tried to make us leisure class
I attempted to raise our social and financial status to a place of relaxation and luxury.
But we're poor
However, we are destitute, indigent, and lacking financial resources.
I've tried to be your resistance
I attempted to be your opposition and pushback against external forces.
Yet how easily we fall
But we succumb, stumble, and fail all too easily.
To breathe from the inside
To inhale the essence of one's being or surroundings.
The salt of the ocean
The minerals, essence, and vitality of the sea.
The waves are transparent
The movements and changes of the ocean are visible, open and clear.
Strands of emotion
Thin threads of complex feelings and sensitivity.
I've tried to be your paramour
I attempted to be your romantic partner and lover.
But I'm cold
However, I am distant, detached, and emotionally unresponsive.
I've tried to be so nonchalant
I attempted to be carefree and indifferent.
But I'm bold
However, I am fearless, daring, and courageous.
I've tried to be the savoir faire
I attempted to have the skill and knowledge to know what to do in any situation.
You don't need
But you do not require my expertise.
I've tried to take your breath away
I attempted to leave you breathless with admiration and surprise.
Yet how easily you breathe
But you continue to inhale easily, subtly unaffected.
You can't say I've never tried to love you
You cannot claim that I have not made an effort to love you fully.
You can't say I've never tried to die for you
You cannot claim that I am not willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for you.
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DAE51D
WTH? This isn't Severina's voice!? :-(
microkosrae
thats wierd if type in judy boucher and this lame song pops up...laaame