On their ninth studio album, Afterburner, Dance Gavin Dance proves their expertise at the subtle art of not giving a f*ck.
What makes a great rock song? Is it the riffs, the bass, the drums, or the way those elements combine? Is it the lyrics, and the way they’re able to explore complex human experiences in a unique, yet relatable manner? Is it something altogether intangible, like an unshakable feeling that whatever a band or artist is doing describes where you are in life at a certain point in time? There is no answer, and those that feel otherwise probably haven’t spent a lot of time listening to Dance Gavin Dance.
Across fifteen years and numerous lineup changes, Dance Gavin Dance has become a beacon of hope amidst rock music’s repetitive tendencies. The group’s catalog is a collection of wide-eyed analysis of the human condition paired exquisitely with something that can only be described as post-ironic self-awareness set to instrumentation that dares to explore all corners of heavy music. No two records or songs sound the same, and yet nothing feels out of place.
Afterburner, the band’s latest release, finds Dance Gavin Dance refining their talents while pushing the creative envelop wherever possible. It’s the kind of musical chaos and experimentation that would border on cacophony if it were attempted by anyone less skilled or in sync than the members of the group. Track to track, beat to beat, Dance Gavin Dance work to find new ways to catch fans off guard while simultaneously giving them exactly what they expect. It’s a magic trick of sorts, handled by musical magicians making seriously unserious music with the precision of fine craftsman.
A great example of the fine line Dance Gavin Dance walks is “Prisoner,” one of singles released ahead of Afterburner. As vocalist Tilian Pearson croons about existentialism and the architecture of the universe, vocalist Jon Mess delivers the post-hardcore equivalent to slam poetry with lines about someone named Billy who backs abortion and eye cream while smoking packs of Christian Bale. The two songwriting elements are so different that one might believe they’re written without knowledge of the other’s existence, and yet, they meld perfectly.
“Three Wishes” combines similarly opposing ideas. A sonic bed made for summer car rides with the windows down while your arm rides the waves of the air rushing by serves as the foundation to a love story interrupted by Mess repeating shouting the line, “multiple stab wounds.” Then, as the pre-chorus for the second refrain hits, Tilian sings, “I make offbeat noises with my little guitar / always been a little crazy but I don’t think too hard.” It’s the perfect summary of the band’s sound, an offbeat concoction of ideas thrown together with a reckless abandon that somehow works, and it’s delivered with absolute sincerity.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby, describes first-rate intelligence as “the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” Dance Gavin Dance proves their mastery of music through their willingness to combine unlikely elements in songwriting. Afterburner, like any release in the group’s catalog, is a series of experiments to understand what limits, if any, exist in music. That exploration alone is worthy of acclaim, but the fact that the band’s songs are easily accessible to most fans of rock music is something else altogether. Some would call the continuing success of the group a miracle, but miracles are inexplicable. Dance Gavin Dance’s success is the result of handwork, not divine intervention, and as long as they stay the course, anything is possible.
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