Dance Gavin Dance’s new record “Acceptance Speech” has proven itself to stand solid in place with the rest of this band’s discography.
Editor’s Note: Fixed the egregious error about Jonny Craig being the singer.
Although the album doesn’t do much to stand out from the band’s past work, this is the perfect collection to listen to if you are a new fan. “Acceptance Speech” captures the band’s high energy atmosphere and very high-pitched singing melodies that make up Dance Gavin Dance’s style that launched them to popularity. For old fans, this album doesn’t bring much of anything new to the table, but will be a satisfying listen to hear the most updated set of the band’s sound.
“Acceptance Speech” starts off fast and energetic, sets the tone by sporting the impressive vocal skill of Tilian Pearson. This album touches on a few other genres other than it’s own, featuring a rap segment and heavy electronic effects. In addition to these positive aspects of the album, the band represents their ability to create an album that captivates a post-hardcore sound. Each song more compelling than the next, Dance Gavin Dance delivers a fluid album that shows the mastery of their sound. From their nearly feminine sounding vocal support, to the metal-core fundamentals, this band has proven once again that they can represent their genre fully.
This newest release is a blessing and a curse. Although this album fits perfectly in line with the band’s direction, sound, and style, it fits a bit too well. Dance Gavin Dance seemed to play it safe with “Acceptance Speech” sticking very closely to the vibes of their earlier releases. To add on to the redundancy, many of the vocal techniques are repeated throughout the album. Towards the end of the album, many dynamics and vocal melodies start to sound very similar to those in the other songs. There is a line between fluidity and repitition and this album walks that line very closely at some points.
For first time listeners, this is a great album to represent the sound of Dance Gavin Dance. To long time followers, some might find “Acceptance Speech” as a disappointment. Although the band holds up to it’s sound, this album isn’t much of a refreshment for old fans to dive in to. But, with such selective cons, this overall fluidity and originality overpower the blandness of the album. Definitely a good choice if you are looking to spice up your play list!
Rating: 7.5/10
-Nic