Aw yes, the album review: A 300-500 word write-up explaining all the eccentricities pretentious wordsmiths love and hate about a band’s new album. While most reviews tend to hover the line between a positive and negative analysis, we’ve found that some seem to deviate from the pack choosing to spend their time putting an artist down for months of hard work.

We, on the other hand, would rather give the power back to the artist by letting them take a stab at reviewing (or simply explaining) their new music. And in order to make that process as easy (and fun) as possible, we’ve decided to give the artists one word and one word only to describe each song off their new release – thus creating the One Word Album Review.

Featured on today’s OWAR is Dance Gavin Dance’s dazzling LP, Artificial Selection. Easily their most daring release yet weighing in at a total of 14 mind-melting tracks, Dance Gavin Dance’s eighth full-length album sees the veteran post-hardcore experimentalists at their absolute best. Whether it’s co-vocalist Tilian Pearson belting out an infectious chorus, un-clean vocalist Jon Mess screaming his usual oddball lyrics, Matt Mingus beating the living hell out of his drumkit or Will Swan shredding the filthiest of riffs, Artifical Selection has more than enough to certify this record as one of the band’s best.

Now, before we turn this too much into our own review, we’re going to pass things over to Swan as he carefully (and possibly randomly) chose fourteen-ish words to describe each of his band’s new tracks. Along with the one-word descriptions, the six-string assassin also shared a little insight on how a few of the band’s somewhat silly song titles came to be.

To check out what Swan had to say, be sure look below. Afterwards, make sure to not only pick up a copy of the band’s new record but also grab tickets to see Dance Gavin Dance out on tour with I See Stars, Erra, and Sianvar here.

01) Son of Robot

One Word Song Description: Blamskapow!

02) Midnight Crusade

One Word Song Description: Iwannagofast



03) Suspended in This Disaster

One Word Song Description: Thetoweringinferno

Bonus Will Swan Song Title Explanation: This title was pulled right from the chorus just like that little girl got pulled out of the spirit world in Poltergeist, by rope.



04) Care

One Word Song Description: Feels

05) Count Bassy

One Word Song Description: Groovy

Bonus Will Swan Song Title Explanation: I named this song after the amazing artist Count Basie. But I changed the spelling because this is a chill song with bass-driven parts. So it’s bassy.

06) Flash

One Word Song Description: Stingandthepolice

07) The Rattler

One Word Song Description: Rawwwwwr

Bonus Will Swan Song Title Explanation: This song is for moving your head like a dumb ass rattle. ‘Nuff said.

08) Shelf Life (featuring Kurt Travis)

One Word Song Description: Throwback

09) Slouch

One Word Song Description: Faceslap

10) Story Of My Bros

One Word Song Description: Funnyhaha

Bonus Will Swan Song Title Explanation: We came up [with] the idea of a joke pop-punk song named “Story Of My Bros” while we were on the beach in Australia with sand between our toes. It reminded us of our bros.

11) Hair Song

One Word Song Description: Permed

Bonus Will Swan Song Title Explanation: Doing your hair can be hard or fun. This song takes an in-depth look at hair.

12) Gospel Burnout

One Word Song Description: SteveChillerBand

13) Bloodsucker

One Word Song Description: Loudnoises!

Bonus Will Swan Song Title Explanation: That’s your own mother!!!!!

14) Evaporate (featuring Andrew Wells)

One Word Song Description: The endY

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