Rise and Shine has been a solid band in the central Ohio scene for at least a year to my knowledge, and this album really cleans up any minor issues the band may have had with their production circa their 2004 EP. Especially present in their re-done “The Things You’ve Saved Can’t Be Replaced”, Rise and Shine shines through, aided by an especially generous mastering. Opening the follow-up to “Replaced”, “Late Than Never” with a sizzling guitar solo and the always-distinct vocals of Dan, Rise and Shine has made their summer break, long road-trip song. The arena-rockesque guitars found on “Late Than Never” really solidify this track as an instant classic, which is only further bolstered by the multi-part harmonies found on the track. What is really impressive about Rise and Shine during this track is their ability to flip-mode and essentially change their sound enough to support a nigh-six minute track, especially in a period when many bands fail to support four-minute long songs.
The screamed-out, almost hoarse vocals issued by Dan during “Work, In Progress” are the ultimate in transferring what Dan is feeling, how hurt eir is and hell, how impressive this band is – there are no cracks, no missed notes and yet Dan can portray such a heart-broken character. The dropping-out, synchronized to perfection during “Anchord(d)” of practically all instruments besides Dan’s vocals show the cohesion, carefully cultivated, of all facets of the band. The band is not your typical sit on your laurels, melodramatic emo band. Rather, Rise and Shine is much more like the Jawbreaker/Dag Nasty-influenced Love and Squalor in that the intensity of guitar lines and drum-beats continually keeps the tempo going even if Dan’s vocals are not conducive (at least in the literal sense) to what the rest of the band is playing.
What is simply orgasmic on “The Anthems of Summer” is the staggered double-vocal assault that the band places on their “Smoke and Mirrors”, which jars listeners so much that they simply are not able to do anything besides focus in on the band. Changing up their openings with the very electronic, almost sequenced “The Accident Will”, Rise and Shine looks to bands like Yellowcard while still maintaining their links to the past. Rise and Shine have put out an album that would be equally proper on The Militia Group as it would be on Lobster, and it is a rare happening on “The Anthems of Summer” where a listener will not be completely engrossed with what is happening.
Top Tracks: The Things You’ve Saved Can’t Be Replaced, Work, In Progress
Rating: 8.1/10
Rise and Shine – The Anthems of Summer / 2005 Sleepwalk Recordings / 12 Tracks / http://www.riseandshinemusic.com /http://www.sleepwalkrecordings.com / Reviewed 26 March 2005