Aside from his previous work in Tides of Man and continuing solo project, Tilian Pearson has presented himself as a prominent figure of the modern Post-Hardcore scene, with all of its various genre twisting bands sprouting out from just about every corner and crevice. Acceptance Speech was a far cry from the bandâs more groove driven album Happiness, the attempted âback to their rootsâ sound on Downtown Battle Mountain 2 and itâs raw predecessor which is the self titled album, replacing both with, yet again, a new sound for fans to either love or loathe. Similar to many fans of the band, it took me a little bit of getting used to, however I couldnât deny that the guy had some serious singing chops. Instant Gratification undoubtedly upped the ante with straight bangers like the albums introduction âWe Own the Nightâ, lead singles âOn the Runâ and âDeath of a Strawberryâ, although listening to it as a whole is definitely the optimal experience. Mothership is the bandâs 3rd album with Tilian, and their 8th release in general, not counting Tree City Sessions.
The band gets right to the point with âChucky vs. the Giant Tortoiseâ, with yet another audible improvement in musicianship, with Will Swanâs guitar prowess definitely showing here. Jon and Tilian are going back and forth with their two quite different jabs at the abrasive, yet beautiful instrumentation going on, while the chorus showcases Tilian presenting a more confident, upfront effort in his singing, when compared to the previous two albums. Matt Mingus doesnât get lazy here either, with some of the most tasteful drum fills Iâve heard in awhile, period. âYoung Robotâ has Tilian showing his complexity and range a little more than the previous track, however showing that the band still pretty much talks about the same subject matter that was present in virtually all of their other releases, with a hook like âShe said drink that love donât demand it, âcause baby I canât stand it when you look so pathetic. Drink that love, itâs like a habit. Feeling like a savage, you know I gotta have it, I gotta have it all.â The change in tempo is a nice breath of fresh air though, in classic DGD fashion. âDeceptionâ is one of the albumâs more straight forward tracks, along with the albumâs lead single âBetrayed By The Gameâ, not including tempo changes in replace of catchier hooks and choruses. The second albumâs single âInspire the Liarsâ reminds me of how effortlessly Tilian could hold that memorable note in the beginning of âWe Own the Nightâ, which is definitely nothing to scoff at. âExposedâ is a complete change of pace for the album, with Jon Mess nowhere to be found on the track, with itâs laid back tempo and simpler, more straight forward composition. The albumâs eighth track, âHere Comes the Winnerâ is my personal favorite, sounding practically like nothing else on the record, or really anything else theyâve done in general, while at the same time being arguably the best example of what this album is potraying. âChocolate Jackalopeâ was passable at first listen, but eventually grew on me, as I got over that incredibly cheesy Drake reference towards the end of the track. As the album comes to an end, âMan of The Yearâ proves to be a fitting close, with the breakdown of the track being possibly the most engaging moment on Mothership with Tilian crooning the lyrics âFilled with regret, alone in the end. Barely a man, I ran from every decision.â Simply reading the words wonât show itâs greatness, the track definitely deserves a listen.
Dance Gavin Dance has been effortlessly churning out fresh and original sounds since 2006, and even in their early beginnings with Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean, the band has always brought something to my ears that virtually no other band has. They continue this trend with Mothership, showing no signs of slowing down in the process, which makes me ultimately excited to see what the next release brings to the bandâs discography.
