THE DANGEROUS SUMMER “Reach For The Sun”
Back when THE DANGEROUS SUMMER released their first EP, I had said something along the lines of them needing to add more personality to their songs in order to really capture the essence of pop-rock. A bit of time has passed since that EP was first issued, and the band members have truly found themselves in that time. Instead of coming off like another trite pop act, THE DANGEROUS SUMMER sound like they are seasoned veterans on Reach For The Sun, just their first full-length.
As in the past this quartet still heavily channels newer THE STARTING LINE material, especially when considering how much vocalist AJ Perdomo sounds like Kenny Vasoli. The biggest difference, though, lies in the fact that THE DANGEROUS SUMMER fellas have already gotten to a maturity level that took TSL three albums and several goofy haircuts to achieve. While the album has its fair share of radio-ready pop-rock songs (“Where I Want To Be,” “The Permanent Rain,” “Symmetry”), there are also a handful of tunes that really point to the new direction the guys have taken. “Weathered” and “A Space To Grow” are perhaps the most indicative of this direction, as they find Perdomo singing with intense passion to music that has the twinkle of early ’00′s emo (HEY MERCEDES). The guys even cover some of JIMMY EAT WORLD’s more heartfelt territory in the mid-tempoed “Northern Lights.” Here, Perdomo’s vox are as strong in the mix as ever, and he absolutely kills it even when straining his words more than usual. This song should serve as reference to all the pop-rock bands who attempt to write “moving” songs by adding flaccid string sections and acoustic riffs as “Northern Lights” nails it with neither.
The fact that these guys have actually grown beyond the confines of what was offered on their EP says a lot about their dedication to this craft. How often do we see labels release EPs from bands like this only to release an album a few months later which displays no growth or maturation? THE DANGEROUS SUMMER have thankfully eschewed such methods in favor of taking time to write a worthy album. Reach For The Sun surely stokes the fire in this jaded listener, and I have a feeling it can do the same for other fans who aren’t so fond of all the rainbow-colored-hoodie-wearing acts passing off music as pop-rock these days.
