Approaching August

Approaching August is a rock band from Connecticut. They have a familiar sound and yet it is unique in ways I can't quite describe. At first glance, these guys seem to have a lot going for them, most of which is musical talent. They lack in a major area, however; tightness. As far as their recordings go, they seem to get away from each other easily. They usually get right back, though, which is nearly enough to compensate for the mistake. Another thing that immediately caught my attention was the tempo. It seems to change without them realizing it. For example, while listening to Thanks for Nothing, I noticed that the verses were very fast compared to the bridge. This isn’t that big of a deal though since a couple practices with a metronome will fix any fluctuations in tempo.

On a good note, I found Everything You Never Wanted very catchy. I especially like when the tempo switches (intentionally) to half-time towards the end of the song. Parts of this song remind me of old blink-182 stuff. The only problem I have with this song has more to do with the recording than the composure. The vocals and guitar are very dominating and cover up the drums and bass. I can at least hear the drums and bass but they could definitely be louder.

Final Word
Approaching August definitely has potential and could easily be successful in music. They just need to work on playing together. Alone, these guys know their instruments very well, but together they fall to far into what they themselves are doing and not paying enough attention to the others in the band. I don’t mean anything bad against this band because everyone struggles with it. Its only a matter of time before Approaching August figures this out and really makes something of themselves. Check them out here.





-ishibustim