At Dusk – You Can Know Danger

At Dusk – You Can Know Danger / 2006 Popping Open Music / 10 Tracks / http://www.atduskmusic.com / Reviewed 22 June 2007

This is the third album released by “You Can Know Danger”; “In The Background” starts off this effort, and shows that the band has had time to smooth out their sound. What is immediately noticeable with At Dusk on this album is the diversity of sounds that come together. There are a number of layers that individuals will have to decipher to understand what the band is trying to do with this album. However, these layers are made all the more difficult with the inclusion of a challenge to the traditional time signature used in the brand of alternative meets emo rock that is par for the course for this album.

The band sounds as if they are pulling styles and sounds out of the mid-nineties, with “In The Background” blending together Samiam with acts like the efforts of a Deep Elm Records. The band may be playing a style that is more influenced by older styles, but there is a vibrancy and vitality to the tracks o “You Can Know Danger” that will attract fans. The slower tempo of a “Wish I Was Younger” gradually shifts into a fast sound, but gives individuals a sense of the fact that the band can succeed even in different genres and styles. At Dusk come forth on their “You Can Know Danger” with a high amount of radio-friendly tracks. This does not mean that they are neutered or otherwise weak, but paint At Dusk as an act that can pander to the radio listening public and audiophiles alike.

When I listen to a song like “Forever Ago”, it takes me back to when the Appleseed Cast and Desert City Soundtrack were just starting out. There is so much in the way of emotion conveyed with each guitar line and interaction that the riff has with the rest of the act. The only odd track that I hear on “You Can Know Danger” is “We Saw Them Leave You There”, which again brings At Dusk into using different time signatures. The success that the band has on the track is not quite as high as it has been on other tracks, but At Dusk starts to get back on track with the following “Time Is Near”. At Dusk is a band to look out for in the next few years; they may have a few albums under their belt at this given time, but I still believe that they will be able to increase their fortunes further.

Top Tracks: Time Is Near, Forever Ago

Rating: 6.5/10