The Ataris
Welcome the Night
(Isola)
Following 2003’s breakthrough So Long Astoria, the Ataris seemed poised to take over the emo-tinged, pop-punk throne. But frontperson Kristopher Roe fell into a quarter-life crisis—did he still want to be making music for disillusioned teenagers? The subsequent reevaluation of the band’s musical goals and loss of its rhythm section yielded Welcome the Night. The record travels ground contemporaries like Nada Surf and Jimmy Eat World have trod with far greater success, moving to a more mainstream, modern rock sound. While not a complete washout, what could have been soundtrack to summer is instead the sound of a band lost in the plot.
Ian Gormely