THE DANGEROUS SUMMER came under the radar and surprised many with debut album ‘Reach For The Sun’, so naturally follow up ‘War Paint’ carries the weight of expectation and sees the band pick up exactly where they left off.
If you’re familiar with the first album, you’ll be right at home with ‘War Paint’, and though there’s not a giant leap stylistically between the two, the record certainly feels more confident and accomplished. The first three tracks are as strong as anything on its predecessor and if there was any pressure to deliver the follow up quickly it’s certainly not showing in the music.
If there’s anything working against The Dangerous Summer with this record, it’s that this kind of atmospheric pop-rock really is everywhere you look, and while they’re one of the standout bands of around the same size doing what they do, they’re still going to have to keep the pace up to stay ahead of the game.
Fortunately, ‘War Paint’ is a strong and consistent record with much to write home about, and though there’s a couple from ‘Reach For The Sun’ that aren’t quite matched here, that’s more of a compliment to their strength than the weakness of this latest effort. The band are fantastic at creating space with their instrumentation, and though AJ’s lyrics are often forlorn ad love-centric, it’s positive and uplifting throughout.
Overall, ‘War Paint’ is well worth a listen, especially if you’ve checked out and enjoyed The Dangerous Summer before.