Keagan Ilvonen
08/19/08, 01:20 PM
Dance Gavin Dance - Dance Gavin Dance
Record Label: Rise Records
Release Date: August 19, 2008
I can't imagine what it must be like for a band to lose probably the most essential part to their fame. As crazy as it sounds, that was Dance Gavin Dance's choice when they kicked former front man Jonny Craig out of the band. It's not an easy task to replace one of the best singers in the scene today. So what did they do?
Dance Gavin Dance held open auditions for a new singer and finally found a winner in Kurt Travis (formerly of Five Minute Ride, O! The Joy and No, Not Constant). Now I will admit that when I first heard Travis, I initially wrote him off for the sole fact that he isn't Jonny Craig. Let me just get this out of the way and say don't make that mistake.
The new album has the same Dance Gavin Dance characteristics you know and love. People will complain about the lyrics, the screaming, and everything else that has been said in the past. With that said, you know what you are getting with Dance Gavin Dance, although there are some nice surprises on this disc. Such as a few guest vocalists - Nic Newsham (Gatsbys American Dream), Chino Moreno (Deftones), and Matt Geise (Lower Definition) - that really add diversity to the album, giving it a greater album feel compared to Downtown Battle Mountain.
The album starts off with one of the stronger tracks "Alex English," showcasing Travis' voice and his ability to harmonize which works perfectly. They keep the intensity going with "Buffalo!," a song that rides drummer Matt Mingus' groovy beats throughout the whole song. The flow of in-your-face tracks continue until "Hot Water on Wool," where the band shows that they can slow it down and still channel the ferocity of the first songs. This pace is followed up with "Uneasy Hearts Weigh The Most," which stands out from every other song on the album for the simple fact that it sounds like a perfect mix of Dance Gavin Dance and Gatsbys American Dream. Oddly enough, it works and shines as the best song with a guest vocalist. While "Caviar" has been getting a lot of love from fellow fans, I find it to be one of the weaker tracks on the album. "Rock Solid" is just as it says: rock solid, with Matt Geise's guest vocals give the track that extra kick. Once again, another continuation of previous material shows up in form of "Burning Down the Nicotine Armiore Pt.2," which is easily one of the catchiest songs the band has written. After you hear Kurt belt the chorus, it is instantly stuck in your head.
"Skyhook" is by far the weakest song on the album. With that being said, it is far from a bad song. Finally, there is "People You Know," which happens to be the craziest song on the album. This nine minute track is a showcase for Jon as he takes the limelight as he does all the vocals, capturing the raw voice of Jon and projecting his anger onto every listener. It's as if the song is more of a big "fuck you" to Jonny and the scene, but I couldn't think of a better way to end the album.
Kurt Travis proves that he can fill Jonny's shoes and then some. While Craig may have a more distinct voice, Travis is more versatile and adds more depth and options to Dance Gavin Dance.
Who knows what is in store for the constant soap opera known as Dance Gavin Dance - will they change their name? Could this be their last record? Will every member eventually just walk away? If any of that does happen, I can say that I am highly satisfied with this piece of work; the least you can do is give it a shot. Jonny is gone, so its time to move on ... and it's obvious they have.
intensity; great guest vocals; Jonny Craig's absence
myspace.com/dancegavindance (http://www.myspace.com/dancegavindance)
Record Label: Rise Records
Release Date: August 19, 2008
I can't imagine what it must be like for a band to lose probably the most essential part to their fame. As crazy as it sounds, that was Dance Gavin Dance's choice when they kicked former front man Jonny Craig out of the band. It's not an easy task to replace one of the best singers in the scene today. So what did they do?
Dance Gavin Dance held open auditions for a new singer and finally found a winner in Kurt Travis (formerly of Five Minute Ride, O! The Joy and No, Not Constant). Now I will admit that when I first heard Travis, I initially wrote him off for the sole fact that he isn't Jonny Craig. Let me just get this out of the way and say don't make that mistake.
The new album has the same Dance Gavin Dance characteristics you know and love. People will complain about the lyrics, the screaming, and everything else that has been said in the past. With that said, you know what you are getting with Dance Gavin Dance, although there are some nice surprises on this disc. Such as a few guest vocalists - Nic Newsham (Gatsbys American Dream), Chino Moreno (Deftones), and Matt Geise (Lower Definition) - that really add diversity to the album, giving it a greater album feel compared to Downtown Battle Mountain.
The album starts off with one of the stronger tracks "Alex English," showcasing Travis' voice and his ability to harmonize which works perfectly. They keep the intensity going with "Buffalo!," a song that rides drummer Matt Mingus' groovy beats throughout the whole song. The flow of in-your-face tracks continue until "Hot Water on Wool," where the band shows that they can slow it down and still channel the ferocity of the first songs. This pace is followed up with "Uneasy Hearts Weigh The Most," which stands out from every other song on the album for the simple fact that it sounds like a perfect mix of Dance Gavin Dance and Gatsbys American Dream. Oddly enough, it works and shines as the best song with a guest vocalist. While "Caviar" has been getting a lot of love from fellow fans, I find it to be one of the weaker tracks on the album. "Rock Solid" is just as it says: rock solid, with Matt Geise's guest vocals give the track that extra kick. Once again, another continuation of previous material shows up in form of "Burning Down the Nicotine Armiore Pt.2," which is easily one of the catchiest songs the band has written. After you hear Kurt belt the chorus, it is instantly stuck in your head.
"Skyhook" is by far the weakest song on the album. With that being said, it is far from a bad song. Finally, there is "People You Know," which happens to be the craziest song on the album. This nine minute track is a showcase for Jon as he takes the limelight as he does all the vocals, capturing the raw voice of Jon and projecting his anger onto every listener. It's as if the song is more of a big "fuck you" to Jonny and the scene, but I couldn't think of a better way to end the album.
Kurt Travis proves that he can fill Jonny's shoes and then some. While Craig may have a more distinct voice, Travis is more versatile and adds more depth and options to Dance Gavin Dance.
Who knows what is in store for the constant soap opera known as Dance Gavin Dance - will they change their name? Could this be their last record? Will every member eventually just walk away? If any of that does happen, I can say that I am highly satisfied with this piece of work; the least you can do is give it a shot. Jonny is gone, so its time to move on ... and it's obvious they have.
intensity; great guest vocals; Jonny Craig's absence
myspace.com/dancegavindance (http://www.myspace.com/dancegavindance)