Dance Gavin Dance’s sixth studio album is much like a poised state of disorder. It's the kind of chaos that's harnessed with a certain elegance that sustains the band’s unfading inscription on an otherwise stale genre. This album paints a uniquely hued image, rich with an infinite pallet where the fusion of beauty and musicianship shine through each crack in the foundation. After nearly a decade of line-up changes, Dance Gavin Dance's sixth studio album could serve as a prelude to a new era of the band.
The musicianship on “Instant Gratification” is everything fans have come to expect from a Dance Gavin Dance record. The time signatures are intricate, the guitar leads are melodic and the lyricism is from another realm. Experimental jazz and post-hardcore has been uniform to the group's sound since the group's debut album, yet it still hasn't become trite and exhausted.
The band's creativity never ceases to elevate and the chemistry between each band member and how they compliment each other is unwavering. From guitarist Will Swan rapping on “Eagle vs Crows” to the metal influences on “Shark Dad,” this album is truly an expansion of horizons.
One of the highlights of the album is the vocals of Tillian Pearson, and it’s not only due to his atmospheric falsetto that fans were introduced to on the group's previous album “Acceptance Speech.” With unclean vocalist Jon Mess also on this album, it is the first time in eight years that the same vocalists were featured on consecutive album releases.
The last time this happened was when Jonny Craig and Jon Mess were featured on “Whatever I Say is Royal Ocean” and the subsequent 2007 album, “Downtown Battle Mountain." Despite being plagued with a history of inconsistency and public turmoil, It would appear as though the band may have finally hit its stride.
Eluding tradition, “Instant Gratification” is the first album since “Downtown Battle Mountain” that doesn’t contain a sequel to any of its existing songs. Instead, the album features a track titled “Death of a Strawberry” which overtly suggests that fans should not hold their breath for a part four to the “Strawberry Swisher” trilogy.
The band’s previous album also featured “Death of the Robot with Human Hair” which put an end to another sequel. While this abandonment leaves a bittersweet taste in the mouths of some, the fact that the band has chosen to veer into a few new directions without recycling previous material is quite refreshing.
On the surface, “Instant Gratification” appears to be nothing new. It was released on Rise Records, it has the familiar sketchbook album artwork and it was even produced by Kris Crummett, producer of all but one of the band’s albums.
When listening to the album, it doesn’t take long to realize that this initial impression is hollow and unfounded. The beauty of the album is in the disorder and once this is realized, the gratification is instant.
Reach the reporter at zmoranno@asu.edu or follow @thezackarymoran on Twitter.
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