The Ataris
Welcome the Night


3.5
great

Review

by lunchforthesky USER (41 Reviews)
February 19th, 2007 | 32 replies


Release Date: 2007 | Tracklist

Review Summary: A complete upheavel of both sound and approach to songwriting for The Ataris, which despite the obvious departure proves to be some of the bands finest work.

Sit yourself down and make yourself comfortable for I am about to tell you the story of an almost legendary pop punk band from Anderson, Indiana. A great many aeons ago (Four years ago to be precise) there existed a band called The Ataris who wrote a string of near perfect pop punk classics featuring singer Kris Roe’s heartfelt punk rock anthems which earned them legions of devoted fans, who clung to every emotionally charged line. Somewhere between now in 2007 and the release of their last album So Long, Astoria that band died a slow death. However like the super villain rising up at the climax of a Hollywood blockbuster to battle the hero in some kind of mutated hybrid of its past self, The Ataris are back, albeit with barely a trace of the band they once were. Now employing a sound more akin to My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Archers of Loaf than to their sound on End is Forever and Blue Skies and Broken Hearts what has become The Kris Roe Symphony Orchestra presents to you Welcome the Night.

The Ataris has always basically been frontman Kris Roe’s band and any assistance from other band members more certainly secondary to Kris. In short he writes almost all the songs, all the lyrics and is almost completely in charge of the bands creative direction. The bands line up has always been ever changing and this time out Kris Roe decided to employ an army of musical mercenaries to help him record Welcome the Night. The band now contains three guitarists, a bass, drums, piano and strangely a full time and full touring cellist.

To even begin to compare this album to the bands previous works is like comparing black metal to country and western. The change isn’t quite so extreme but it is huge, so big that Kris initially wanted to release it under a different name but was convinced otherwise by Columbia Records who the band later left for indie label Sanctuary. Changes aside there is no reason why Welcome the Night can’t be an excellent record and in truth its pretty good. Not a classic by any means but a very respectable effort which highlights Kris’s ability to write infectious pop hooks to the backdrop of almost any style. Welcome the Night begins with the lead single and the albums most accessible track Not Capable of Love. The song was added at the request of Columbia who refused to release the album without what they considered a single. It is driven by a furious overdriven riff and has a strangely electronic feel. Roe’s vocals are reminiscent of Robert Smith’s throughout the album and The Cure influence is very prevalent. Lyrically we have a tale of relationships like you’d expect from The Ataris but it’s delivered which such unbounded maturity when compared with previous work.

“Beneath the glow of this hanging moon, Lies a city still and cold, Our silhouettes walk hand in hand, the drunken jukebox serenade. We pretend we're so innocent because no one ever likes to hurt. Go take off that silver dress and expose your naked heart.”

However it’s not all about girls and Secret Handshakes deals with Kris’s ex-step father’s involvement with the freemasons’ that almost took his step sisters life. Alternatively Welcome the Night is a spiritual revelation and the whole album has an aura of the supernatural about it, to add to the confusion even further the album is loosely based on a series of disturbing dreams that Kris’ experienced as a child. In terms of instruments and the sound of the album, the instruments all tend the blur together to create what is at time haunting and at other times beautiful wall of sound, with no particular instrument standing out but all of them working together for a feeling of ambience and serenity.

Welcome the Night is an album that has to be listened to closely to be appreciated, its not for the most part something that’s hits you straight away but requires a familiarity with the material before you can really appreciate its textures and depth. Continuing with the theme of secret societies we have the The Cheyenne Line, its title being a reference to the search for the Holy Grail. Kris screams out, “If your alive, then be truly alive.” The song weaves together a complex musical soundscapes with an excellent pop hook to make for easily the best Welcome the Night has to offer. In terms of slower building tracks both We All Become Smoke and Act V, Scene IV are worthy of mention but in a sense it is betraying the feel of the album to name individual songs, as it really benefits from an uninterrupted listen from the opening note right up until the last fade out.

If like myself you were once a fan of the old Ataris but have experienced new found musical maturity then Welcome The Night may actually be a welcome change, in my opinion this far surpasses anything The Ataris have previously recorded and is a more than accurate representation of the talent Kris Roe has always possessed. No longer confined by four chord punk rock songs The Ataris has been let free to make an album which blends a great many styles and achieves something remarkable in the face of great adversary.

Recommended Songs
The Cheyenne Line
Not Capable of Love
Cardiff-by-the-Sea



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user ratings (96)
3
good

Comments:Add a Comment 
lunchforthesky
February 19th 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Released today in Britain

Kaleid
February 19th 2007


760 Comments


Good, I was just going into town. I like the idea of a Cure influence. But...

If like myself you were once a fan of the old Ataris but have experienced new found musical maturity then Welcome The Night may actually be a welcome change

Is there one defining track here that shows off their new sound? I'd like an idea before I buy this.
Nice review too

lunchforthesky
February 19th 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Cheyenne Line probably.



On their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/theataris

The Jungler
February 19th 2007


4826 Comments


The few tracks I've heard off this are definitely different from their old work, but not as different as I was hoping. There is definitely Pop-Punk rooted in this music, no matter how indie they are trying to be. All that said, I think this will probably appeal to me in a way their other music can't. I'll probably listen to it soon enough.

Good job on the review, lunch.This Message Edited On 02.19.07

Intransit
February 19th 2007


2797 Comments

Album Rating: 1.5

This is a terrible terrible album from a relatively bad band. I don't think I'll understand all of the dumb shoegaze malarky, but I really don't care to either. Frankly, this just sounds boring an contrived.



Good review, although as you can see, I disagree quite wholeheartedly. This Message Edited On 02.19.07

lunchforthesky
February 19th 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

I figured not many people would like this.

Abaddon2005
February 19th 2007


684 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0



I really don't like Kris strayed from the punk direction, that suited him very well and 'So Long, Astoria' was a fantastic record. This on the other hand, seems to be forced.

Mikesn
Emeritus
February 19th 2007


3707 Comments


I might check this out, I don't know. Cool review

Radio #2 is all I've heard from these guys. It's okay.

JoeForPresident
February 19th 2007


178 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This is a very good review BUT the part about Kris wanting to change the name of the band is NOT true.

he tells us in an interview here that that was made up http://www.musictowers.com/features/ViewArticle2085.aspx



very good review though. their sound changed a ton but i still love their music

lunchforthesky
February 20th 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

aah cool, i just read it in a few places so i assumed it had some level of truth to it.

trustxdialect
February 20th 2007


1502 Comments


I like seeing people that make accounts just to leave comments like that.

They never stay. :[

Good review, though. I heard these guys once but I can't remember if I liked them. Looking at my musical tastes, would I like this?

lunchforthesky
February 20th 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

I would think so yes.

Abaddon2005
February 21st 2007


684 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

I liked how in the interview it says:



" I couldn’t see why I was doing all this for one guy who doesn’t even care enough to straighten up his act with his drug problem, and one guy who’s so out to lunch and too busy trying to score chicks. We are two of the most humble people "



Like wow. Obviously he knows his own band ex band mates better than me, and I'm sure he's right(to a certain degree anyway.) but damn way to be "humble"..



It's just lame to attack ex band mates who have no contact with the media anymore and can't defend themselves.This Message Edited On 02.21.07

Abaddon2005
February 21st 2007


684 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

also..



" If you’d said that you like fucking “Spiderman” or “Batman” I’d have said that was rubbish. "



didn't they do a song for a Spider-Man movie? I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure they did.



lunchforthesky
February 21st 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

The lights Went Out In NYC its called.



Its widely known that Kris is a bit of a tool in real life.

StrizzMatik
February 22nd 2007


4189 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

I heard most of this album, sadly, live about 6 months ago at The Chance in Poughkeepsie. It bored the hell out of me then, just like now. I guess they're trying to be "deep" by throwing on ten million pedals and "seeing what happens". Kris Roe has always fellated Joey Cape and Lagwagon since day one, and it doesn't surprise me that now he's trying to be Bad Astronaut, only crappy, knock-off, and pretentious.



Oh and yeah, Roe is definitely a jerk with a far bigger ego than his music can hold up. I mean the guy can't even keep a band together b/c he's such a prick...

Abaddon2005
February 22nd 2007


684 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0



I actually like most of the stuff they have put out before this, when I read interviews during the So Long, Astoria period, he also seemed much nicer. Shame.

BringHomeTheBacon
February 22nd 2007


248 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I enjoy this album too. Good review.

lunchforthesky
February 22nd 2007


1039 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Seems were the only ones.

Oblivioncry
February 22nd 2007


602 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

i really like this album too



the cheyenne line and the begin.. are really awesome tracks



this album reminds me of Feeder



dunno why other dont apprecaite it, well each his own

This Message Edited On 04.22.07



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