Augustana - Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 05.10.2008
Their single “Boston” was a big favorite for TV soundtracks, but what will they sound like on their sophomore album?
My Story
You know, when I think about it, my brother listens to some depressing music. I’d never even heard of Augustana until her picked up their All The Stars & Boulevards a few summers ago. I copied the CD over onto my iTunes (as I am always compelled to do), but didn’t really give the album a listen for quite a while. It slowly crept into my brain, though, as I’d here tracks here and there on shuffle, everytime thinking to myself – “Who is THIS?”. The band’s blend of modern piano rock and 90’s alt-rock set with me much better than their brethren like Keane and Coldplay. So when the opportunity to review their long-awaited follow-up album presented itself, I jumped. Will this CD impress me off the bat, or will it need time to creep?
Their Story
Augustana formed in Greenville, Illinois in the early part of the decade. The original band formed around vocalist/keyboardist Dan Layus and guitarist Josiah Rosen, and grew to include bassist Simeon Lohrmann, second keyboardist David Lamoureaux, and drummer Kyle Baker. This version of the band had a pair of self-released efforts in 2003, including the debut full length Midwest Skies & Sleepless Mondays and an EP called Mayfield.
Unfortunately, Greenville just wasn’t conducive to making it in the record business. Determined to give the band a real shot at the big time, Layus and Rosen (along with new bassist Jared Palomar) picked up from their small town and moved to the west coast. In San Diego, they hooked up with drummer Justin South and, later, second keyboardist John Vincent.
While gigging in the San Diego area, Augustana’s blend of piano-driven pop and 90’s alt-rock throwback caught the ear of Stephen Short, a producer who had done notable work with artists from Phil Collins to dc Talk. Short became their manager and hooked the band up with an executive at Epic Records, who signed them to a deal. Augustana’s major label debut came in 2005, titled All The Stars And Boulevards. The record didn’t make many waves at first, but was a steady grower thanks to Augustana’s supporting shows for acts like Counting Crows, Switchfoot and others.
Things accelerated in 2006, when the band’s single “Boston” was used in an episode of the TV series “One Tree Hill”. With the iron hot, Epic re-released Stars And Boulevards with bonus tracks. The record managed to reach #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, thanks to the Top 40 hit “Boston”, which was popping up all over television by 2007.
2006 would see a significant change in the line-up, however, as founder Josiah Rosen left to pursie a solo career and was replaced by guitarist/mandolin player Chris Sachtleben. By the next year, Augustana was headlining theater shows, as well as opening for Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carraba.
In the first half of 2008, the band readied their second Epic release, preceded by the single “Sweet & Low”, already an Adult Top 40 hit. The single was expanded into an EP, which was made available exclusively via iTunes in late February. Appearances at SXSW and on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” followed. The band is currently touring in support of the release, with dates scheduled through June. The new album debuted at #21 on the Billboard charts.
Media
The Album
On April 29, 2008, Epic Records released Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt, the second major label release by Augustana and the follow-up to 2005’s All The Stars And Boulevards. It is also the band’s first new album since the departure of Josiah Rosen in 2006. Retail exclusives include “I’ll Stay” (iTunes), “Sweet & Low (Acoustic Version)” (iTunes), “Hey Now (Acoustic Version)” (iTunes) and “Reasons” (iTunes preorder).
The Band: 7.5
Dan Layus: vocals, guitars, piano
Jared Palomar: bass, vocals
Justin South: drums, vocals
John Vincent: piano, keyboards, organs, vocals
Chris Sachtleben: guitars, vocals
Before Josiah Rosen’s departure, Augustana’s core was his guitar and Dan Layus’ piano and vocals. With the guitar half gone, you would think the band would spiral into piano ballad territory, stepping on the toes of folks like Coldplay and Keane. Amazingly, they’ve done quite the opposite. Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt is a much earthier album than its predecessor, with the guitars driving most of the songs while Layus drops his piano in for the pretty fills. In this manner, it’s more alt-country than Brit rock, and that’s more than refreshing in today’s musical landscape.
One thing that keeps it together is the fact that this configuration of Augustana has been together just as long (if not a little longer) than the young group that recorded All The Stars And Boulevards. Thanks to copious touring, they REALLY know how to play together, and, with uber-producer Brendan O’Brien at the helm, they’ve found a way to translate that into the studio.
Fans who enjoyed cooling (and maybe moping) out to “Boston” will find plenty to like here, but it’s definitely delivered in a more mature setting. It’s more folksy than whiny. More introspective than heartrending for heartrending’s sake. Of course, the real star of the show is Dan Layus’ vocals, as this guy could read mainstream rap and still sound sensitive. It’s a great quality to have, and Layus uses his vocal quality as a tool more than a crutch. The results are a band still trying to become more and succeeding.
The Songs: 8.0
1. Hey Now
2. I Still Ain’t Over You
3. Sweet And Low
4. Twenty Years
5. Meet Me There Someday
6. Fire
7. Either Way, I’ll Break Your Heart
8. Dust
9. Rest, Shame, Love
10. Where Love Went Wrong
The problem with those “Scrubs”-soundtrack albums is, they’re usually highlighted by one great emotional song and a bunch of boring, weepy filler. Augustana kicks that predilection in the ass right away, with the soaring “Hey Now”, a song that is sure to find its way to radio sooner or later (“We’ll kill ourself to find freedom/You’ll kill yourself to find anything at all”). That’s followed by the midtempo “I Still Ain’t Over You”, with its driving muted guitar chords. The track has a simple message (“It’s been one year and fourteen months/I still ain’t over you”), but the gorgeous harmonies and overdriven guitar melody makes it uplifting when it could have turned weepy.
Of course, that’s not to say there aren’t any “Boston”-like ballads here. Look no further than the lead single, “Sweet And Low”, a track that will easily have the boys and girls singing along at the next Augustana show. The gentle, piano-driven “Fire” fulfills the melancholy quota nicely. And let’s face it, when the pianos come out, you crave that.
Still, Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt’s strengths are its faster tracks, which will have fans of bands like the aforementioned Crows, Graham Colton and even Train giving the band a second look. Songs like “Either Way, I’ll Break Your Heart” and “Dust” (“If I came home/Would you get down on your knees?”) are there to grab new fans, and given the album’s success thus far, it’s working.
The 411: Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt finds Augustana trading the sophomore slump for a leap in quality. Their debut was full of potential, but this album finds them fleshing out their music and interacting much smoother as a band. There’s a roots-feel to this set that will grab attention from more than the “One Tree Hill” watchers – though those folks will have plenty to love too, thanks to ballads like the lead single “Sweet & Low” and the sad “Fire”. Still, it’s the folk-rockers that will develop that new fanbase, and cuts like “Dust”, “Hey Now” and a handful of others are there just waiting to be discovered. Augustana has grown from a “sad piano tune” band to an alt-rock force over the last three years. It’ll be cool to see what they do next.
