Dance Gavin Dance - Happiness CD Preview - Release: June 9, 2009

When I popped in my first Dance Gavin Dance CD, I was sure I would be met with a horrifying pop-punk explosion or a shamelessly overproduced dance-punk outfit with a sound so saccharine it would make the Jonas Brothers sound like Johnny Cash. Thankfully, names can be misleading.

By now, I'm well aware that Dance Gavin Dance is one of the few bright spots in the post-hardcore scene, where the ferocity of bands is matched only by the speed of their disappearances. That's not to say Dance Gavin Dance hasn't had a few bumps in the road - the band has more former members than current ones, but they have managed to stay true to their sound through it all. This is a rarity for the genre, where bands seem to get bored and move on to bigger and better things (Thrice); run out of ideas and launch headfirst into abysmal mediocrity (Fear Before); or simply disappear under the cover of night (Armor For Sleep). But with Happiness, Dance Gavin Dance cements their commitment to longevity.

From the tremolo-tinged opening notes of "Tree Village" to the schizophrenic heel-bouncing/head-banging "Power to the People," the band delivers an energetic effort packed with what seems to be lacking in mainstream music lately - fun.

The album's seventh track, "Strawberry Swisher, Pt. 1," is a perfect example, starting out with the feel of a sultry love song but quickly revealing the band's sense of humor as singer Kurt Travis croons, "Get back to bed, yeah/Mickey Mouse covers look good on your body." The song is essentially a three-minute, twenty-eight second summary of Dance Gavin Dance's sound - ranging from a catchy verse backed by sparse guitar, then moving into a momentum-building pre-chorus before finally exploding into a frenzied chorus accented with tasteful screaming and aggressive guitars.

The title track on Happiness, though, shows that the band is capable of pondering more serious issues as well. Here, Travis laments a lost love, confessing to "listening to the answering machine over and over/Only to hear your voice one more time." The siren-like wailing of guitar during the chorus perfectly complements the tragedy revealed in the lyrics, and the intense emotion is palpable in the final, pounding seconds of heavy guitar and screaming.

However, crashing cymbals, dropped-D powerchords and half-sung, half-screamed vocals do not a metal record make. Dance Gavin Dance is here to party, as they make obvious on "Don't Tell Dave," with Travis seemingly addressing his listeners - "Hey, so glad you made it/Did you bring your friends?" If Happiness is the party, everyone is invited, as the band effortlessly bounces all over the musical map; skillful tremolo-picked verses rub elbows with crashing choruses, and singing and screaming are woven together elegantly, proof that you can start a mosh pit without stepping on any toes.

While most of the songs on the record fall short of five minutes, the amount of creativity and versatility packed into each suggests a group of musicians unarguably invested in every aspect of their craft. Though the post-hardcore scene may be bottoming out, Dance Gavin Dance is at the top of their game. This makes Travis' musing about hoping to "win the lottery someday/So I won't have to go away," ("Carl Barker") all the more appropriate - because the longer this band sticks around, the more listeners will feel as though they've hit the jackpot.