Album Review: The Dangerous Summer - War Paint

A group of young men release a pop-punk/indie rock album and the world keeps on spinning. Well, a lot of times that is the case. Needless to say, musicians in the age between adolescence and adulthood usually produce pseudo-thoughtful, contrived and convoluted music which to sing about relationship problems. Here's a surprise--The Dangerous Summer aren't like those bands. They truly are thoughtful, and display enough musical and songwriting prowess to convince this reviewer that they are actually able to stand head and shoulders above the glut of nameless pop-punk acts.

Their latest effort, War Paint, at its core, is a fantastically thought out affair full of catchy hooks, introspective and evocative lyricism, and wonderful production values. It just so happens these young English men are the same age as me, which makes War Paint all the more impressive, as it very much comes off as an incredibly mature piece of work.

Darker than most of its peers, War Paint isn't chock full of bright poppy moments, but instead, features a harder edge, both musically and aesthetically. Largely it is catchy and fun, but there's more depth than one would expect. "I Should Leave Right Now" and "Good Things" are about as light as the album gets. This in no way should be a turn off, as the more grounded sound is exactly what makes the album such a treat.

Everything from the vocals to the songwriting is top notch on War Paint. While it may not take the world by storm, the album is yet another fantastic addition to a year that's been dominated by some exceptional pop-punk releases. The Dangerous Summer could very well make your "summer," so if more mature, thoughtful pop-punk is your thing, then War Paint definitely deserves your attention.

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01 War Paint.
02 Work In Progress.
03 No One’s Gonna Need You More.
04 Good Things.
05 Siren.
06 Everyone Left.
07 Miscommunication.
08 I Should Leave Right Now.
09 Parachute.
10 In My Room.
11 Waves.
12 Work In Progress (Acoustic).
13 No One’s Gonna Need You More (Acoustic).