Review Summary: "This Is Where I Want To Be"
If you’re feeling lonely, this is the record for you. The Dangerous Summer have always been a band that I can turn to when I’m feeling down, and they have perfected their unique, uplifting brand of pop punk in their first full length release,
Reach for the Sun.
Reach for the Sun is a record about being lonely, and longing for the brightness ahead. Vocalist A.J. Perdomo spills his heart makes it clear to us that he is at a low point in his life, and is longing for his home, and ones he loves. Opening track and one of the best tracks on the album, “
Where I Want To Be” serves as an adequate summary of the record. Perdomo croons about how he made mistakes, regrets them, and long for those whom he hurt to love him again. The second track, “
Settle Down”, is another highlight of the record. In this song, Perdomo sings about his downtrodden spirits when he is on tour and how he dreams of better times. The title track, “
Reach for the Sun” is the highlight of the album. Saturated in emotion, it is a song about finally finding the place where you want to be, need to be, and finding the person you want to be with.
Reach for the Sun is truly an excellent record in all aspects. The instrumentation serves to distinguish the Dangerous Summer from other pop-punk contemporaries. The lyrics combined with Perdomo’s unique voice fill each song with unadulterated emotion so palpable that it is difficult not to be touched in some way. The record’s only flaw is to drag in the middle portion, but this only detracts slightly from the quality of the songs.
Reach for the Sun remains the Dangerous Summer’s best and most heartfelt effort and one of the better releases of 2009.
Recommended Tracks:
Where I Want To Be
Settle Down
The Permanent Rain
Reach for the Sun
Never Feel Alone
