The Dangerous Summer

It would be super-easy to write-off this album. C'mon, more pop punk? Diatribes on heartbreak, the plight of growing up and other such lyrical ingenuity only produce cynicism these days, especially when delivered with three chords and overused hooks. Somehow, the Dangerous Summer find a way to twist the formula ever so slightly, making it interesting by adding a level of tension and intensity often missing from other genre-similar albums. "Weathered" highlights the 11-track disc. You can hear the honesty in AJ Perdomo's voice (reminiscent of Taking Back Sunday's first album) when he sings, "There's a million other people that I found who cared more than I ever will." You believe what he's singing, which brings the song alive. Of course, there are a few offerings that would have been better left on the cutting room floor ("Northern Lights," "Reach For The Sun"), but the quartet have done an admirable job presenting something that can stand on its own two feet.