Review Summary: Give me substance, give me something
Sometimes a band produces a comeback album without necessarily needing a comeback. Afterburner is exactly that. The collection of tunes contained within go beyond a culmination of everything DGD has tried to achieve up to this point, along with some welcome experimentation. And most importantly; Afterburner is straight up fun to listen to. Fun, one of the band’s key strengths that had somewhat dissipated on their previous LP Artificial Selection. And let’s face it: Artificial Selection wasn’t great. More emphasis was placed on lighter, pop-inspired segments that were featured prominently on Mothership (though to better effect) and the group’s overall sound suffered because of it. The heavier segments didn’t flow as well as they had before, Tilian Pearson’s vocals sounded hoarse and stagnant, and the harsh vocals didn’t juxtapose as well as they had just a few years prior. Afterburner is a course correction in every sense, almost as if the band, cognizant of the failures present on their previous LP, collectively rolled up their sleeves and made a conscious decision to take their eclectic musical ideas and package them in more cohesive songwriting in an effort to crown themselves the kings of pop post-hardcore.
Every aspect of the band’s musical prowess is on display here, but with a newfound catchiness and send of structure. Off beat drum patterns, effect-driven guitars, funky bass lines and massively improved vocals. There’s a real sense of passion and patterns, even at the zaniest moments. Guitars are of particular note. There’s been a real effort to expand the sonic palette of guitarists Will Swan and Andrew Wells. Through effective use of wah pedals and crystal clear production, guitars cover the spectrum of heavily distorted bottom notes to verses filled with cleanly picked soft chords with “bleep bloop” effects peppered in, for lack of a better onomatopoeia. These effects along with the Pearson’s smooth vocal performance give pop edge to each track.
What’s more, these pop sections actually fit in the songs. DGD haven’t always had the easiest time oscillating between the frenzied tempo’s with harsh vocals and soaring choruses, but when it worked, it WORKED. Afterburner is probably the most successful of all DGD’s efforts to merge these seemingly incongruent sounds which results in a surprising number of downright danceable songs including the ending portion of
Strawberry’s Wake, to the flamenco-inspired chorus of
Calentamiento Global.
All of this points to Afterburner’s biggest strength – experimentation. Truthfully, DGD could never be accused of shying from experimentation, but results have been varied to say the least. The majority of risks taken here pay off. One aspect of the music that needed tweaks for some time now were the vocals. Fortunately, the harsh and cleans never sounded better and, unlike previous outings, things seldom get stale. Consider the vocal and lyrical diversity on display:
Spanish singing?
Calentamiento Global. Check.
Blatantly self-aware lyrics about the band’s excessively spastic guitar work?
Three Wishes. Check.
A nod to Pearson’s former band Tides of Man? You get the idea…
Dance Gavin Dance are difficult to truly fault. Each member is so talented, their sound so creative, that even lesser albums deserve at least a modicum of the listener’s respect. To say they’ve pulled themselves out of a rut with their latest effort feels disingenuous, but it’s true. There are a few hiccups:
Say Hi has some of most off-putting harsh vocals in post-hardcore history, and the rapping in the closing track is just as cringey as it was on Acceptance Speech. These errors amount to aesthetic issues. The bigger problem lies in the group’s substance. DGD have never really taken themselves seriously, their lyrics and unorthodox song structures mirroring their sardonic perspective. Yet, the highlights of Afterburner are often found in moments when the group are less interested in eviscerating traditional songwriting and more interested in crafting a tune of substance. Perhaps as they continue to grow and mature, we may get more masterful songs like
One in a Million; a strong, cohesive track that exhibits all of the quirky characteristics DGD is known for while carrying a logical progression from start to finish.
Despite these and other minor flaws, Afterburner is the fulfillment of Dance Gavin Dance’s collective promise. I, for one, welcome our post-popcore overlords. May they continue to give us something original, while continuing to be something of continually greater substance.
