Hailing from Anderson, Ind., The Ataris are far from a new addition to the rock scene, but only recently have they released their second major label record, "Welcome the Night", four years after their debut, "So Long, Astoria." Upon first listening to the new album, it sounds nearly nothing like The Ataris from 2003, who had left a bruise on the hearts of teenagers across the nation with their catchy hit cover of Don Henley's "Boys of Summer."
Before leaping into the track-by-track, it needs saying that from 2003 to 2006, The Ataris went through a label crisis, leaving Columbia Records for the smaller label Sanctuary, home of such artists as Morrissey and Iron Maiden. The members of the Ataris that recorded "So Long, Astoria" also parted ways in a large split in 2004, leaving only two of the former members in the band. This history only serves to highlight that the band that released "Welcome the Night" is not the same Ataris of the "Astoria" years.
The first track and first single, "Not Capable of Love," is a radio-friendly tune that borders on the mundane, as the rest of the album does as well. The immediately noticeable difference is that the formerly clean sound of the band has been replaced by a muddier sound, reminiscent of the British band Muse. Ataris lead singer Kristopher Roe's voice has also moved from a whisper to a scream, which adds a certain strained, unnatural sound to all the songs.
While "So Long, Astoria" was a generic album in its own right, "Welcome the Night" seems to openly accept and embrace the unaccented, dynamically challenged sound that graced the first album. The second track, "Cardiff-By-The-Sea," is quite a letdown after the energetic and well-produced "Not Capable of Love." "Cardiff" comes across as The Ataris attempting to be The Killers, with a vocal line that remains in the same register throughout the song, leaving room for the guitar to play only the same four chords ad nauseam.
The next notable track, "New Year's Day," begins with a guitar riff that belongs on a B-side of an Ashlee Simpson record, which is generous to say the least. Unsurprisingly, the song goes on to be just as flavorless as the intro riff, with Roe trying far too hard to make his voice sound shaky and emotional.
While the band seems on some level to be trying to make themselves sound more like The Jesus and Mary Chain or The Cure, the end product leaves many of the songs sounding more like Hawthorne Heights. While the lyrics on "So Long, Astoria" were heartfelt yet simple and delivered in an appropriate tone, the overwrought lyrics on "Welcome the Night" are sung by Roe with less ingenuity than the most emo of songwriters.
One of the few noteworthy songs on the album is "From the Last, Last Call," a vaguely Morrissey-esque tune that fits in well with the understated style The Ataris do best. As Roe plaintively sings "I'm not right, no I'm not right," he does it honestly enough to convince us he means it, while avoiding sounding like he's just copying another artist.
"Welcome the Night" will most likely only appeal to hardcore fans of The Ataris, while those mildly interested in the band are much better off picking up a Jimmy Eat World album instead. What is sad about the music scene today is that this album will probably score a lot of indie credibility for the band, even though its ballads amount to nothing more than ennui-inducing hooks with little originality.
