Review Summary: It would be an insult to call Dance Gavin Dance post-hardcore. In a scene where bands settle for less, Dance Gavin Dance struggles and offers, instead, a fresh take on the genre.
It would be an insult to call
Dance Gavin Dance post-hardcore at this point. They may have progressed from the hardcore scene, true, using several elements of the genre in their music. However, as far as comparisons go to many of today's post-hardcore acts, such as
A Skylit Drive and
Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance in its current form couldn't be any more different.
The thought of approaching a whole new sound is a scary thing, especially after you lose a key member. To many, there was disappointment when
Jonny Craig left the band and joined Emarosa, some crying foul and switching their fan bases. One must note, however, that Dance Gavin Dance was not the brain child of the RnB-esque vocalist. Rather, Will Swan is behind the true genius of Dance Gavin Dance, and with the help of Zac Garren, Eric Lodge, Matt Mingus, and Kurt Travis, this band has crafted hits of a new kind.
Taking on a new form entirely, never falling into the fake hard image that many bands seem to go with, Dance Gavin Dance's Happiness has proved itself to be something unique in this often washed up scene. The guitar is better than ever, remaining technical though not off-putting. The drums are solid, always fitting the beat of each song. The bass constantly grooves and bounces from song-to-song. And the vocals? They couldn't be better.
Kurt Travis was criticized at first for being a mediocre replacement for Jonny Craig, but as I have said before and will say again, this could not be any less true. This man has a different vocal style, and while not as dramatic as Jonny Craig, Kurt retains such soul in his voice. Every line and word sung has a deep emotion to it, echoing mostly about the loss of a lover (the album was written during a split between Kurt and his girlfriend), though on one occasion, Kurt gets into party mode and sings likewise ("Don't Tell Dave").
To expand more on the guitar work, it's safe to say that Dance Gavin Dance has not let up. The songs remain catchy, though they don't lose anything in it. Rather, the intense guitar work often builds up and plays off each other, creating layers of complexity that don't build into a machine like
The Fall of Troy's guitar work does. Instead, Dance Gavin Dance keeps things fresh, creating something more like an organism instead. It's constantly growing and evolving, though not in any grotesque form, but beautifully and maturity.
Lyrically, Dance Gavin Dance falters, though not by much. There are points where the vocals will make you raise an eyebrow or scratch your head in confusion, though for the most part, the band remains solid. The screams, in particular, provided by Will Swan on this album, have some of the best lyrics. Though the screaming and singing doesn't often match each other, they play off each other well enough that you won't even notice the difference.
All in all, Dance Gavin Dance's Happiness shows us there is hope in a scene filled with the same ridiculous breakdowns and high-pitched, whiny vocals. This band has proven, as they have before, that they are not here to dominate with a sheer number of chugga-chugga power chords and boring song structures. Instead, Dance Gavin Dance shows us that there is more to be had, and listening to this album, I am convinced that the scene is not dead.
Not with these guys still around.
