Arriving five years after 2013's
Golden Record
,
the Dangerous Summer
's eponymous fourth album sees the Maryland-based emo-pop band aging into adult rock introspection, pairing a glossy sunset glimmer with the bitter remains of their youthful angst. On the slicker, more subtle tracks like "Color" and "Luna," frontman
A.J. Perdomo
's ragged delivery suggests the quiet desperation of impending middle age set against a thoughtful backdrop resembling
Coldplay
. The slightly edgier fare that makes up the bulk of the album generally comes across as solidly crafted mainstream alt-rock with a bit of an anthemic
Springsteen
-ian flavor. The production throughout is uniformly slick, though the band's punk hackles do seem to rise more fully in the album's final quarter. Delivered with plenty of earnest intent and pathos,
opt for a more universal sound on this comeback record. ~ Timothy Monger