a-tota-so – I Told You So Review

a-tota-so have been a formidable force in the UK music scene, popping up at shows in venues across the country and regularly appearing at some of the UK’s biggest festivals, such as ArcTanGent and, more recently, Magnata Festival in Nottingham. They’ve fostered a loyal following, too, and for good reason. This band puts in a hell of a lot of work in what they do.

The band has just dropped their latest album, I Told You So, a follow up to their 2022 album, Lights Out, and this time around there’s something a little different: rather than relying on a collective of guest vocalists to flesh out their already impressive musicianship, guitarist Marty Toner has stepped up as vocalist for the first time, a position he notes was an anxious one to step in to.

From the off, with their lead single Death Rattle, I can tell you for certain that Toner does a fantastic job fronting the band. His voice perfectly suits their blend of mathy-tinged alt rock, reminding me a lot of bands such as Alpha Male Tea Party (who coincidentally also dropped their first non-instrumental album), Future of the Left, and Bicurious. a-tota-so have stepped it up a ton with this album, and I swear if this band isn’t signed to Big Scary Monsters in the near future, I’ll be massively surprised.

One thing that’s worth mentioning is that this band is hard to place, genre-wise. Not because they don’t have a coherent sound, but because they pull from so many influences and lay it bare in their songwriting. There’s math-pop, post-rock, post-hardcore, alt-rock, grunge, and noise rock present throughout the album; it’s definitely a delight to the ears. There’s a level of diversity in their sound that feels fresh from track to track, without sounding like a pick’n’mix of clashing noises. I massively applaud that.

Lyrically, Toner has an interesting way with words and metaphors, touching on political and personal themes cleverly. Songs like Form Of Mass feel like commentary on just how shitty the world has become. For a first-time lyricist, Toner has managed to paint a brilliant canvas for a-tota-so, and I’m impressed. Some of the vocal melodies are catchy as hell, too. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but with added vocals, the band sounds so familiar… not in a plagiaristic or interpolated way, but in a way that instantly feels comfortable. I’m not listening to someone who’s never stepped into the vocal booth before; I’m listening to an old friend.

I already knew that a-tota-so slapped instrumentally, but the band has definitely stepped it up with I Told You So. It’s at times rhythmically complex without being too overwhelming. There’s also some big sound coming out of Toner’s guitar, which I have to hand it to production; it’s done well. And this is the only area I can be critical of; at times the mix is a little quiet, at least compared to other bands in this genre and other songs in my library. I’m unsure if this was due to the master being optimised per Spotify’s arbitrary -14 LUFs, or if it’s simply not the best mix/master. That being said, as a whole, the album had a pretty well-balanced mix across all of the tracks.

From what I’ve heard from a-tota-so, they’re only going from strength to strength, and I hope big things come their way. Both musically and from a community-building and marketing perspective, this band is putting the work in, and it’s really paying off. Their music is only getting better, and while they explore new themes, sounds, and roles within the band, it’s still unmistakably an a-tota-so project.

Overall, I Told You So is a fantastic album from the Midlands trio. Having Marty on the mic has really stepped up what a-tota-so has to offer, and I’m genuinely impressed with what I’ve heard. It has a great mix of heavy noise rock, twinkly math-pop elements, and big post-rock meets post-hardcore vibes.

Score: 8/10

a-tota-so dropped I Told You So on September 4, independently.