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Full Review: Augustana - Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt
Posted on April 22nd, 2008 by Tyler, under Full Reviews.
Augustana was more of a rock band that had some pop elements. They had a Train like mega hit anthem, “Boston”, but a lot of their other material had a rough feeling to it. With the new album however, their sound has become that of slow builds and big pay offs.
“Hey Now” leads in with strings and a slow tempo while the vocals tip toe onto the scene. “Hey we’re just bleeding for nothing…” begins the chorus and is the first hint of the Augustana everyone knew. By the songs half way mark the band has joined in and the grove reaching out through the speakers can be felt in a big way. “Sweet And Low” is a song that should be on everyone’s tongue by the time the album is released to stores as it is a brilliantly catchy song that hopefully can transcend the often horrible major label marketing.
During “Dust” the band sort of explains the album’s pessimistic title in which Dan Layus sings about giving up on God. The brutally honest chorus says “…I believed in the Lord, But he don’t show up anymore” suggesting a wealth of hurt from different disappointments. There is a lot of pain that flows throughout the record which does cast a cold shadow over it. Most of the songs on the album have at least hints of heartache dealing with spiritual or relationship things which is even apparent in the song titles.
Augustana are masterful song writers whether you are a fan or not. In terms of the music, tone, and mood the band has perfected the dynamic of their songs to get the emotional response desired. ‘Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt’ makes the band’s last outstanding album look like a handful of demo songs patched together. This really is an album that had the time it needed put into it and the production value it deserved.
“Twenty Years” follows the same basic style of the song “Boston”. Starting on piano, Layus seems to be describing finding the girl who gave him a sense of freedom and separating from her which is accompanied by a big build up of all the instruments as well as added string section.
Moved on from the days of the raw rock songs like “Hotel Roosevelt” and “Bullets” and easing into a comfier chair, I will miss the grittier songs mixed through the album. Style wise ‘Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt’ is just a half step too far and would have benefited from an extra guitar driven song one less piano led one.
Track Listing
1. Hey Now
2. Still Ain’t Over You
3. Sweet and Low
4. Twenty Years
5. Fire
6. Meet You There Someday
7. Either Way (I’ll Break Your Heart Someday)
8. Dust
9. Rest, Shame, Love
10. Where Love Went Wrong
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