A have always suffered from an identity crisis of sorts. Too rocky to really be accepted by the punk fraternity despite supporting AFI and The Offspring back in '99 (or was it '00? My memory's gone) and taking Capdown out around the country both this year and last, and too punky to really mount a serious offensive on the charts and minds of the public consciousness. But now they've enlisted the services of Terry Date (most notably the production supremo behind The Deftones) for Teen Dance Ordinance, arguably their most complete collection of songs so far.
Take opener 'Rush Song' – a sledgehammer riff bracketed to a hook big enough to successfully ride alongside Jason Perry's distinctive vocals – as a manifesto of sorts. The guitars provide a crunch that is subtitled by a driving bass sound that ensures the momentum of album never really drops significantly. It's a stormer of a track that wants desperately to set the tone for the rest of TDO but is inevitably tempered by A's poppier, less vitriolic side. Single 'Better Off With Him' and 'Someone Else' both try to rock out but unfortunately fall victim to the temptations of the skip track button. When they're firing on all cylinders, as with 'The Art of Making Sense' and the aforementioned 'Rush Song' they become a band possessed of all the ingredients vital to getting people up off their arses and having a bit of a dance. It's here that Date's hefty production moves into its own, providing a depth and range that A seemed to be striving for in their earlier work.
It's almost a trip into classic territory with '2nd Coming' and 'Worst Thing That Can Happen', both excitingly heavy tracks that really push the boat out in terms of A's sound. Perhaps it's Perry's singing but A have never sat comfortably next to many other British bands, and with these two tracks they're making inroads into cementing their status as purveyors of the finest heavy-yet-accessible punk-inflected rock. Which makes it all the more frustrating when 'Hey' slips in with its synthesised emotion and frustratingly pedestrian licks...within Teen Dance Ordinance is the sound of a band trying to sit in too many camps at once, and it's obvious that A's strengths are in crafting anthemic tunes rather than poppy nuggets.
The days of them being able to write another 'I Love Lake Tahoe' might be gone, but just as 'Bad Idea' hinted at a heavier sound maybe they should stick with Date and just turn everything up a bit louder. TDO isn't a perfect album but an intriguing one. It's a strong collection of songs slightly handicapped by their need to try and appeal to the market that lapped up 'Nothing'.
Ben
www.a-communiation.com
