Day 1: Dance Gavin Dance – “Instant Gratification” Album Review

Dance Gavin Dance is the front-running band in a genre that is lovingly referred to as “Swancore” (Based off the guitarist Will Swan’s involvement in many bands with this style). They have become somewhat infamous due to their near constant lineup changes and the Jonny Craig MacBook scandal back in 2010. It seems now that they are finally being recognized for something other than these issues with their latest release “Instant Gratification”.

“Instant Gratification” is the second album featuring ex-Tides of Man vocalist Tilian Pearson. Their last release, “Acceptance Speech”, featured Pearson as well but was not widely embraced by older fans. It seems “Instant Gratification” has regained the love from the hardcore Dance Gavin Dance fans and is receiving generally great reviews. This review is no different. I have been listening to Dance Gavin Dance since 2007 when “Downtown Battle Mountain” came out, and this is my favorite album they have put out.

I have always been a huge fan of Dance Gavin Dance. They probably have the highest play time of any band in my music library. Many Dance Gavin Dance fans don’t argue about favorite album, they argue about favorite era (Jonny Craig, Kurt Travis, and Tilian Pearson). I struggled with this question for a long time, but this album has finally given me the answer. I believe that Pearson is the perfect fit for Dance Gavin Dance. Craig was soulful and powerful when he was in it, but he caused too many problems and he’s good in Slaves. Travis was involved in my previous favorite Dance Gavin Dance album, “Dance Gavin Dance (sometimes referred to as ‘Deathstar’)”, but A Lot Like Birds is where he truly shines. Now, Pearson is showing his true colors, bringing a totally new yet comfortably familiar sound. He adds a pop dynamic that has never been fully embraced in a Dance Gavin Dance album.

“Instant Gratification” starts out with the somber yet hard-hitting track “We Own the Night”. It shows that Dance Gavin Dance still has their old sound but have taken it into a new direction, and that direction works. It’s incredibly catchy and the guitar work is phenomenal. I find this song stuck in my head more than almost any other song on the album, and it’s far from my favorite.

The next song is “Stroke God, Millionaire” which features some of Jonathan Mess’ most unusual lyrics. Many people complain about his lyrics not making any sense, and this album is absolutely no exception to that. In my opinion, “Instant Gratification” displays Mess’ most unique and outlandish lyrics to date, and I love it. They add a charming factor to the songs.

The middle of the album is my favorite section, featuring the tracks “Shark Dad” and “Awkward”. These two songs are my favorite on the album and which one I enjoy more fluctuates each time I listen through the album. “Shark Dad” features Martin Bianchini, the guitarist of Secret Band and has the most chaotically heavy section of all of “Instant Gratification”. “Awkward” features Zach Garren, guitarist of Strawberry Girls and formerly guitarist of Dance Gavin Dance. Not only does it feature an old favorite, but the chorus is impossibly catchy and it has a breakdown, which is something Dance Gavin Dance has never really done before. The breakdown isn’t bland like a lot of breakdowns are as of late. It has very interesting instrumentals but it’s something that’s very easy to headbang to.

The last few songs on “Instant Gratification” are outstanding. “Eagles Vs. Crows” has one of my favorite moments off the cd. The section has Will Swan rapping, followed by Jonathan Mess screaming, and then Tilian Pearson comes in with his outstanding vocals and they go back and forth between the three of them. After that comes “Death of a Strawberry” which has probably my favorite chorus of the entire album. It’s intense and passionate and catchy all at the same time. The harmonies are at almost the same volume as the melody. This would normally sound weird, but Kris Crummett knows exactly what he’s doing when he produces Dance Gavin Dance and it sounds perfect.“Variation” comes after that and that song really shows how amazing Pearson’s vocals are. He opens the song with a few lines that have by far the highest pitched vocals on the album and it works. “Instant Gratification” ends with “Lost”. “Lost” is one of the most technical songs I’ve heard in awhile, with every member of the band really pushing how amazing their talents are.

Dance Gavin Dance hasn’t really put out an album I didn’t enjoy, and this one still managed to exceed my expectations. If you want to check out the album, the whole thing is streaming on YouTube in the link below.

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