Tech-heavy, Sacramento-based progressive metal outfit
Dance Gavin Dance's third album bristles with the kind of overachiever eclecticism that's as impressive as it is divisive. The band's penchant for death metal scream-infused verses and poppy, alternative rock choruses feels more accessible this time around, but a significant lack of hooks keeps these ten songs from sticking to the roof of your mouth. At its best, ("Nasa," "I'm Down with Brown Town," "Don't Tell Dave")
Happiness feels like a mash-up of the best parts of
Fishbone,
Protest the Hero, and
Chiodos, but too often it descends into the nasally realm of high school emo ("Tree Village," "Powder to the People"), requiring far too much work on the listener's part to warrant the meager return on the investment. ~ James Christopher Monger