Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room

Party Adjacent

Written by: PP on 04/08/2015 00:08:30

With Alkaline Trio being on an unofficial pause right now given a completed tour cycle for the latest album "My Shame Is True" and performing another set of their critically acclaimed "Past Live" discography shows, there's again room for a second round of solo releases by the band's two primary songwriters Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano. We took a look at the excellent sophomore album "Kuts" by Matt Skiba And The Sekrets last week, which was characterized by their ability to finally forge an identity different from the basic Alkaline Trio soundscape. The same applies for this project: Dan Andriano In The Emergency Room's sophomore album "Party Adjacent" sounds remarkably different from the debut, subsequently placing enough room between the new sound and Alkaline Trio to stand out.

And much like Skiba's project, Dan Andriano's solo songwriting appears to have leaped forward, probably thanks to coming off the back of a strong album with Alkaline Trio just before. Songs like "Wait" and "Eye Contact" are full band songs with great, yet subtle melodies in the best Andriano style that require more than a couple of listens to open up properly. Others are more minimalistic, such as "Don't Have A Thing", which is essentially just Andriano singing above simple electric guitar riffs. Here, the morbid theme of Alkaline Trio is replaced with a more uplifting message of "If you're gonna love someone, do it honestly, do it completely". Occasionally, he does return to classic Alkaline Trio songwriting; "Haunt Your House" might just as well be a b-side to an Alkaline Trio album from the last decade. These tracks are in the minority though as most others only draw a connection through his familiarly laid-back vocals.

But while Andriano strives to sound different from Alkaline Trio records, he most importantly simultaneously avoids the classic punk rocker goes solo artist trap, which usually has the artist sounding like a toned down version of his main band. Here, the songwriting prowess of Andriano that has produced so many punk rock classics over the years comes into the spotlight as he's able to drastically change his typical songwriting into something more fitting for a solo record. From fast paced punk tracks to somber ballads, the quality of song is consistent throughout "Party Adjacent", albeit somewhat understated. Skiba's project is a little more accessible and better produced than Emergency Room here, but sometimes the minimalist approach results into true gems. Another must purchase for any Alkaline Trio fan and further proof that these two dudes are some of all time best songwriters this genre has seen.

Download: Wait, Eye Contact, Don't Have A Thing
For the fans of: Alkaline Trio, Matt Skiba And The Sekrets, Heavens
Listen: Facebook

Release date 17.07.2015
Asian Man Records

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