The Dangerous Summer's 'War Paint' album review

Hailing from Elliot City, Maryland, The Dangerous Summer is an alternative rock band not afraid to maneuver through the emotional trajectory of a relationship gone wrong on their second full-length release, War Paint. Named after what is widely considered as Hemmingway’s last novel, The Dangerous Summer, is also a story filled with a whole lot of strife. And The Dangerous Summer definitely seems like a band that would become immersed into that kind of thing. Without a mite of hesitation, the Elliot City-based 4-piece outfit appears to give their all, throwing themselves into each song as quintessentially impassioned as from the start.

Comprised of AJ Perdomo (Bass/Vocals), Cody Payne (Guitar/Backup Vocals), Bryan zap (Guitar), and Tyler Minsberg (Drums), The Dangerous Summer’s music has echoes of the punk rock-aesthetic, while, also, being able to harness a tight sound that fans of Copeland, Switchfoot, and even listeners of the indie rock giant, Minus the Bear will come to appreciate.

Textured with a kind of tension, AJ Perdomo’s gritty vocals projects the raw feelings that vies for your attention in each song. And this is not entirely without purpose. Similar to the second track off War Paint, “Work in Progress,” which is embedded with lots of guitar riffs and reverb, The Dangerous Summer’s most interesting song off the compilation, “Good Things,” puts you into right into the height of relational conflict. Uncomfortable as that sounds, it does go on to serve the songs greater purpose. In “No One’s Gonna Need You More,” the lyrical tension and the raw feelings exhibited are nearly painful to listen to, but, just looking back at what TDS decided to name their third track, the needy-aspect to the song fits the track-title perfectly.

But it won’t be just the reverb or the extensive guitar riffs that will create this sort of ambiance. TDS’s penchant for complex harmonies, and carefully arranged instrumentals on various meters, happens to make them a very conscientious band, conscious of their every move musically.

War Paint is a very detailed album, and with The Dangerous Summer’s precision to layering and details makes their second LP a very impressive endeavor. The dissent between lovers is very obvious here - nearly painfully obvious. The unsubtle lyrics partnered with TDS’s nearly overwhelmingly rant-y vocalizing of a past love makes listening to War Paint slightly angsty. But although the lyrics need a bit more refining so that not everything has to sound so dire, their multi-faceted sound makes up for that. Overall, The Dangerous Summer has created something that resounds – a feat that hopefully more music fans within the scene will come to recognize.