Augustana hasn’t exactly been off the radar, but they haven’t been in the spotlight lately either. Since their last album, All the Stars and Boulevards (2005) left fans humming along to the hit song “Boston,” Augustana has been on tour and has released their second major studio album, Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt.
Sophomore albums create tricky waters to cross; a band has to grow and maintain their tender fan base, while continuing to be good at what they do. Augustana manages to pull off all of the above in Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt, but they also manage to accomplish more by taking risks and moving in a new direction.
Just like their last album, Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt relies largely on the vocals of lead singer Dan Layus. But the album marks an extra emphasis on Layus as the band takes a step back from the more robust sound of All the Stars and Boulevards and moves into what their website calls “melancholy indie rock.”
That description may be a little overstated. The album still has the pop aspect that won over so many in the past, but they are not at all the best songs on the CD. Take, for example, “I Still Ain’t Over You,” which boasts “clever” lyrics such as “It’s been one year and 14 months/ And I still ain’t over you.”
Little winks aside, it is a song like “I Still Ain’t Over You” that may appeal to the 14-year-old within us who desires a pop beat, but now it’s a little unimpressive. Similarly, “Meet You There” is another of the few pop songs on the CD, but compared to the others it washes up as mediocre.
The major difference between Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt and All the Stars and Boulevards is the former’s extra depth. The majority of the songs are not necessarily “melancholy” but are instead heavy, slow and resonant in only the best of ways. Among the top songs is “Fire,” which, although ambiguous in meaning, is a soulful ballad with building frustration. “Dust” opens much in the same way as Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek,” with synched vocals to create an almost ethereal effect, and “Where Love Went Wrong” seamlessly closes the album.
Of course, the CD isn’t without the “Boston” lookalikes. The current single is “Sweet and Low,” which is no doubt in the same vein as everything from All the Stars and Boulevards and is also similar to a lot of mainstream music to begin with. But if it gets listeners to try everything else Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt has to offer, they are in for a surprise.
Augustana is taking a risk by leaving behind “Boston,” the song which made them famous, and trying out the deeper songs found on this album. It goes to show that again, Augustana has definitely picked a direction to move in, and with Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt, they are bound to pick up new fans along the way.
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4 stars out of 5
