album review: downtown battle mountain (2007) - dance gavin dance

another album recommendation from blair! last night we did a little bit of an rock music exchange.. she mentioned this album, and in return i suggested she listen to everything you ever wanted to know about silence by glassjaw (another awesome band. i will always be passionate for bands from the early 2000's post-hardcore music scene..)  i swear that girl has the best music taste ever. every time we do this, i'm always met with a newfound adoration for an artist i had previously never heard of. DgD happens to be one of those artists, actually. forgive me if i'm a little late to this band. i've only recently began making an effort to expand my music taste, so i suppose im relatively new to hardcore rock genres like these. honestly really wish i had begun exploring these bands a long time ago; i've been missing out.

song by song review:

1. Untitled/And I Told Them I Invented Times New Roman: absolutely chilling entrance. i could feel those guitars straight to the bone. the first thing i realize is that, these clean vocals are absolutely beautiful. would it be too much to call it the voice of an angel? dont know dont care- this is fucking heaven! both dirty and clean vocals compliment each other really well. 

2. It's Safe To Say You Dig The Backseat: i am a sucker for complex guitar riffs. it's a little math- rocky, the way the riffs accompany the vocals just perfectly. and it's rarely ever overdone- at just the right amount. like intricate decorations. 

3. Strawberry Andre: hype as hell! one thing i've really enjoyed so far is how the two vocals compliment each other not only audibly, but lyrically as well. the chorus of this song is a really good example of that. also i just can't get over jonny craig's stunning vocal performance. where have you been all my life!

4. Lemon Meringue Tie: oh i have got to find out who these guitarists are. im obsessed with the switch up from melodic fingerpicking before heading into the chorus (in which there is a noticeable tremolo-picking falsetto beneath the vocals. so,, goood,,,,). another thing to mention is that i am loving the duration of these songs.. each song lasts roughly 4-5 minutes each.. this band is so generous!

5. The Backwards Pumpkin Song: this one might be my favorite. jon mess' dirty vocals are strangely ominous sometimes. but only in the best way possible, of course. 

6. Antlion: nevermind- this one definitely takes the cake for my favorite song off this record. im living for these high notes. had to relisten to this one a few times before i could move on to the next song LOL

7. Turn Off The Lights, I'm Watching Back To The Future: these guitars are harmonizing so beautifully.. i might cry. definitely saving this song to learn on my own guitar sometime in the future. the bass also stands out wonderfully in this song. one thing i really enjoy about this album is that you can really hear the aspects of popular late 2000's music and its indirect impact on the rock genre- especially with the subtle voice effects near the end of this song. that's a good thing, i think. I like how you can place a date on this album. 

8. Open Your Eyes And Look North: you ever listen to a song and just know it'd be an absolute blast to hear live? this song is dynamic in its sound, i could practically imagine myself going crazy in the pit. the lyrics for this record are captivating, and very interesting if anything. just wishing this record had an annotated genius lyrics page.. sigh

9. Surprise! I'm From Cuba, Everyone Has One Brain: fucking awesome. okay i will admit, i did have to lower the volume on this one LOL. don't get me wrong though; i am loving these sudden entrances from every song. 

10. 12 Hours 630 Miles: im sorry you can't do a transition beginning one minute from the last song going into the closing song and expect me to be normal about it. that transition was flawless, and definitely repeat worthy. also, ACOUSTIC GUITAR!!!!!!! of fucking course these beautiful riffs translate well onto the acoustic- im obsessed. very sweet way to end this record, though i wish this last song went on for a little longer, even with the transition! that sudden ending took me by surprise, if im honest. still very very enjoyable, though. 

really kickass album from this band. you should totally listen if you're into a mixture of progressive post-hardcore, math rock, and metal. needless to say, i will be spending the rest of the week sifting through the rest of their discography. 

- poot >_<