All the best things about alternative rock in the last 20 years are present in Free, the latest record by Glasgow's Twin Atlantic. Released in Europe around the start of March last year, the record grew to be the best-selling British rock album of 2011, and when listening to it it's little wonder why.

Released March 13 here in North America, the album is favoured to make a strong impression on rock and radio audiences, and has the potential to make the band as popular and renowned here as overseas in the U.K.

And Free could do it; the band's passion and energy are apparent from the opening strains of "Edit Me," the lead track and single. Powerful guitar riffs and soaring progressions combine with impassioned vocals and suddenly it's as though it's 1996 again and rock is the biggest thing in the universe.

There is an attack present in the performance, and whether it's indicative of the momentum they've gained since forming only five short years ago or of the hunger of a young band chasing its vision isn't clear, but it works very, very well. If the album somehow hasn't won you over by the third track, "Apocalyptic Renegade," the smooth way Twin Atlantic expertly executes the loud/soft dynamics of "Yes, I Was Drunk" may.

"Free," the album's title track, shifts sonically in ways that play well on your ear; it begins with a pulsing riff and cascades into the chorus in such a way that makes it impossible to sit still while you listen. "Crash Land" is next, a disarming acoustic song, leading into "Make A Beast Of Myself," a churning rock song twice released as an album single.

Song by song the record provides an engaging listen; Twin Atlantic are talented artists and have crafted a great rock record. Free is widely available in physical and digital versions across North America on March 13.