The Capitol Years--Dance Away The Terror

Dance Away The Terror is the latest work of Shai Halperin and The Capitol Years, and is some of their best work yet. The album moves past the former lo-fi quality and sounds like it had some better production coupled with it, but The Capitol Years still stay very minimalist. Ultimately though, The Capitol Years make Dance Away The Terror an album out of its time, featuring songs like "Revolutions," a bouncy-pop piece with obvious Beatles influences. More contemporary indie tunes like "Long Time" can be found, as well as slower, more dramatic pieces ("Mirage People"). Dance Away The Terror is most obviously a ‘60s album though, featuring influences like Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, and guitar parts styled after The Beatles (especially in the ballad "Seven Songs"). The Capitol Years evokes a very classic and timeless feel throughout the album, both in their instrumentals and vintage rhythms. The vocals are often chorused and echoed, and the protesting images brought up by "It’s Not Okay" could find its way easily into the time period. However, other influences like The Strokes and Guided By Voices find their way into the album as well, especially in the concluding untitled instrumental track, and put an interesting spin on their sound. All in all, The Capitol Years gain a refined and professional sound, even if that sound is reminiscing of that 40 years ago.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)