by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
The best part of Dancer’s music lies in their willingness to subvert expectations, to peel apart an otherwise shimmering pop song and distort the perception. Their first two EPs, both released last year, proved that they are among the UK’s more exciting post-punk bands, straying away from the genre’s rigidity and lack of personality to establish themselves closer a tangled and taut sound, animated, and gooier than silly putty. There are moments that recall Life Without Buildings and others that veer closer to The Cardigans and even The Raincoats, a combination of twee meets art-punk that makes perfect sense when you consider the Glasgow based band’s make-up (with members of Nightshift, Order of the Toad, Current Affairs, etc). Set to release 10 Songs I Hate About You, their full length debut on March 15th via Meritorio Records (Wurld Series, Red Pants, Whitney’s Playland), the trio are digging into the splendor of their sound, a sun soaked disposition that’s been dismantled and pieced back together.
After releasing the fantastic album closer, “Passionate Sunday” last month, the band offer a different look into the album with the delightfully askew “Change,” a song that gracefully stumbles, pulling the rug out beneath the listener just to get a smile on our faces. Loaded with syrupy harmonies and punchy vocals that feel slighty out of tune in the best of ways. It’s that subversion we mentioned that really gives it the spark, and Dancer are happy to throw this single off its axis at every twist and turn. With shifts in time that feel like warped progressions, they jangle unfettered by their own bent melodies, split between a pop-centric tornado of hazy keys and warbly guitar. The spin cycle of the video is a nice touch, dizzying but all together pleasant, much like “Change” itself.