As the year comes to a close, I figured it would be fitting to write about the song that kickstarted this entire thing in the first place. We Own The Night was the first song that made me go "wow" so hard that I just had to tell my friends everything I loved about this song in detail, and whatever that music rant was formed the basis of auditoryappreciation.
This was my first introduction to the eccentric and beautifully chaotic band Dance Gavin Dance, and despite being one of the more pop-leaning tracks in their discography, did justice to the core of their sound. It was my first taste of Tilian's and Jon's vocals, as well as their unique combined dynamic, alongside the tasteful and distinct instrumental sound led by swancore pioneer Will Swan's guitarwork, and it was amazing. I've never found anything more satisfyingly chaotic than this band's music, and it remains one of my all-time favourites, and the gem of Instant Gratification.
I've always adored the chorus of this song the most out of any part. Experiencing the intensity of the full band, relentless in their elegance, was more or less euphoric. Post-hardcore drumming overlayed with frenzied and all-over-the-place guitar licks that still amazingly held melody, while the two vocalists simultaneously dish out sonic assaults of their own unique caliber. I remember gushing about how disgustingly beautiful it was to have Tilian hold high notes behind Jon's solid screaming on the chorus, it had such a pristine and divine musical texture that I never heard before. I also remember pointing out the vocal triplets by Jon, which in hindsight aren't actually triplets, but I found the rhythm of it so unique at the time, especially with how the instrumentals synced up to it.
The guitarwork on this track is astounding. Whether it's the relentlessly chaotic tapping parts on the chorus, the pretty and elegant riff in the second verse or the funky lick going into the switchup/bridge, Will Swan has such a creative way of designing melodies that encapsulate both intensity and complexity without becoming noisy. A genius in every right, his guitarwork across the board of the band's career definitely lean a lot towards difficult and complicated, but I enjoy the challenge learning to play them as a guitarist, and a lot of them are surprisingly fun to play. I love how he paints the soundscape with so much colour while being able to clearly shape the song.
It's common knowledge that Dance Gavin Dance is a band that isn't afraid to be random and have fun with their music, and it's apparent with a lot of their other songs. We Own The Night, however, happens to be one of their most normal and collected tracks in their entire discography, and I love how extravagant and serious it feels, devoid of the usual comedic interjections from Jon. As much as I love his sporadic and nonsensical babbling, I cannot overstate how much I love that his lyrics in this song in particular had a weight of finality and profoundness to it. It made the song as a whole feel so emotionally heavy and lyrically powerful.
After going through the rest of their impressive discography, this song still remains as one of my top few favourites from them. Few songs make such a lasting impression on me as this one, and for both quality and sentiment, this song doubly deserves a spot in my personal musical hall of fame. I will never be able to fully put into words how much I love this song, and that is both a blessing and a curse I am willing to bear. Dare I say it, perfection.
Rating: 5/5