American Steel – Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts

I’m not fluent in American Steel history. They broke up before I got into the whole punk rock scene and while I did get some CDs from their spin-off bandCommuniqué, I was never much of a fan. I never had any connection with them until they announced their reunion and release of Destroy Their Future. There was something in that CD that I really enjoyed. With no expectations placed on the record, Destroy Their Future impressed me and despite a few weaker tracks here and there, it was a generally solid album and one that I still occasionally pull out.

After that, I had expectations for the band and their follow-up, Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts had to be better than its predecessor to meet my expectations and impress me.

Quite frankly, it did. It surpassed my expectations ten-fold and Dear Friends has been on repeat for weeks now. It seems that American Steel has hit their stride onDear Friends and blown Destroy Their Future out of the water. Does it compare to their older stuff, like the famed Jagged Thoughts? No idea, all I know is that Dear Friends is good; like damn good.

The Alkaline Trio similarities are still present, with the vocalist displaying some blatant Skiba techniques in the title track, the chant-along ballad Finally Alone and The Blood Gets Everywhere. Doing more than simply using the dark pop-punk formula, American Steel creates jubilant and energetic pop-punk song after pop-punk song. Smart choruses with call-and-repeat chants entice the listener to sing along as their infectious melodies dig into their soul and get them dancing too.

Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts fluctuates between energetic and chaotic anthems, like the one-two punch of Emergency Party House and Tear The Place Apart, and more reserved efforts like From Here To Hell. It creates an album with varied tempos and momentum that somehow work together seamlessly. They only time they tempo change feels out of place is the pop-heavy closer Meals and Entertainment, which would be better suited for a Communiqué album than this.

The entire record is tight and cohesive. It’s simplistic in its honesty but complex in its delivery. It’s upbeat and energizing but controlled enough for it to not wear thin after only a few listens. Instead, Dear Friends seems to grow on you and becomes stronger with each passing listen. It may not be quite as gritty as Destroy Their Future but it doesn’t need to be. Instead, as their bio so rightly states, “it is truly one of those rare recordings that insights the longing for the cramped and carefree confines of a sweaty, jubilant house party.”