Evaporate is a very special song in Dance Gavin Dance's discography, and for many of their fans as well (me included). I'd like to think that they made this song to commemorate how far their band has come, and to celebrate all that they have made and done.
The first part of the song isn't anything out of the blue, it's what you'd expect from Dance Gavin Dance. Jon Mess doing his screams and weird lyrics, Tilian doing his angelic highs. Something noticeable is that there's a subtle lack of swancore riffage, which quickly gets explained with the secret guest spot.
I love that they had Andrew Wells as a surprise on this track. Andrew Wells has been their touring guitarist and backup vocalist for a long time, and from what I've heard fans grew fond of him (so did I, eventually). It seems he was quite essential to their live sound, and for many fans, he was considered a defacto member of the band. Giving him a unique verse on this song was awesome musically, but also terrific fan-service. He has a distinctly different vocal texture that diversifies their sound greatly, and adds so much versatility to the sound that they can deliver.
From the moment Andrew comes in, the iconic Dance Gavin Dance swancore sound comes in fully, with Will's lead lines and a guitar solo that I can only assume is Andrew's. The chorus is hooky, the riffs are scrumptious and the energy is high. The dropout calm section that builds up to the final section of the song is equal parts elegant and exciting.
Let's talk about the grand finale, because it's undeniably the best part of the song. They put together a medley of their own songs from all throughout their discography, stretching all the way back to Downtown Battle Mountain. I even saw someone say that the riff going on in the back is a callback to Burning Down the Nicotine Armoire, but it seems more like coincidence than an intentional choice. Regardless, it's such a touching and sentimental section to have, especially for those who have followed the band since it started. Even for me, a person who didn't really listen to anything before Instant Gratification at the time, could pick out lines from We Own The Night and Me And Zoloft Get Along Just Fine. It's so well put together too, and makes for one of the best album closers in history.
I go back every now and then to listen to this song, mostly just for the ending. Even without the medley sentiment, it's a impressively monumental-sounding section. Having listened to more of their discography now, I can appreciate most of what this small section represents for the band. This mashup of iconic songs is a rare thing to find, the only other example I know of being What A Catch, Donnie by Fall Out Boy. It also reminds me a lot of Pop Danthology in essence, which was something I loved when I was younger.
Evaporate is definitely a milestone for them in many ways. Marking the end of their 8th album, 12 years of being a band, many songs to their name and even more fans. It showcased the best of their work over the past few years and, in a way, was a retrospective view of how their sound has changed over the years. Numerous line-up changes, changes in style and genres, and seeing them become better musicians in writing and in production quality. It's a musical masterpiece.
Rating: 5/5