Feature
by Todd Weber

On their first national tour, Portland's At Dusk are having the time of their lives traveling to new places, visiting old friends and playing their challenging brand of rock to largely receptive audiences. They're having enough fun that they're not even going to let a little street crime spoil things.

"It was an incident that was totally unrelated to our musical ventures," jokes At Dusk's Will, "but we were mugged at gunpoint in Washington D.C., and we lost our earnings from that city. It was kind of unfortunate."

At Dusk recently released their second self-produced LP, "Heights," which was largely recorded in a middle school band room in their hometown. By combining minimalist playing with intricate song structures, At Dusk could best be described as "indie prog." From their hypnotic, off-kilter beats to their poetic lyrics, everything about this band seems very intellectual. (One guy went to Yale, the other two went to highly regarded Reed College in Portland). But given the melodic nature of the songs and the intriguing interplay of the musicians, you still don't have to be a brain surgeon or a philosopher to enjoy this music. (Although an SAT score of at least 1,000 is recommended).

If these guys don't make it as a band, they stand a good chance of making their mark as writers. Their tour log at their website (www.atduskmusic.com) is a fascinating and entertaining read about the adventures of three guys out on the road. But for now, they're going to concentrate on writing songs and making music and are looking forward to their next recording project.

"We're very eager to start writing new material," says Will. "As new as the record is, nothing makes songs older quicker than gigging them many nights a week for weeks on end."

Wavelength Zine
Interview
by Jonny Dovercourt

At Dusk hail from Portland, Oregon and play an amazingly detailed, luxuriantly catchy brand of post-punk pop -- with flecks of folky ambience -- that will remind you of all your favourite bands of all time. All three members responded to Jonny Dovercourt's questions via email:

At Dusk: college rock or high school rock?

Cary Clarke: It seems to me that responding "high school rock" would intimate something that could lead to my arrest. But, damn it all, I choose it anyway! I think there's just less competition in the high school rock field. The three of us all grew up together, and began playing music together around the beginning of high school. At the risk of sounding nostalgic, I think there is a certain sense of possibility that I associate with high school, and I'd like to believe that the positive, fun aspects of that come through in our music. "College rock" sounds too laboured, too studious. Though perhaps there's still some territory to be explored in "post-grad rock". Will Hattman: We try to bring to our music the kind of vitality that was so palpable and inspiring in the music to which we responded when we were impressionable teens. On these grounds, I'd call it high school rock. Greg Borenstein: I like the youthful energy and playfulness that implies: those qualities are definitely part of how we see ourselves. Not to mention the underage girls.

The power trio format holds the most possibilities for sonic exploration. True or false? Discuss.

CC: Obviously three musicians can make fewer sounds at one time than four or five, or 15, as you Torontonians are used to these days. But there's just as much potential in sparseness as there is in density. I believe the semi-arbitrary setting of limitations is a prerequisite to making anything. You have to choose to do one thing and not another an infinite number of times in any creative act.. GB: I think we definitely have a little bit of an attitude about bands with more members. We will often remark, "What are all those guys doing?" and imagine how easy it would be to be the guy who, every couple minutes, goes "vreeeowwwwwwwerrrrrginginging" on the guitar.

We live in Toronto, City of Neighbourhoods. You live in Portland, City of _______________? Enlighten us a bit about that blank.

CC: Portland, City of Neighbourhoods Not In Toronto. I thought that would be an amusingly obnoxious response. The experience I've had that most clearly represents to me the best aspects of Portland is the organization of the first annual PDXPOP Now! (www.pdxpopnow.com) music festival, which just took place a few weeks back. An online forum gave rise to a discussion about what we could do to create a stronger sense of community amongst all of the musicians in Portland. A group of about 14 of us met weekly for 7 months and put together a free, all-ages festival of 43 Portland bands. In addition, we put out a double-disc compilation of Portland music. The response was overwhelmingly positive. The CDs sold out before the event and we had amazing, supportive crowds for the festival. The whole thing was paid for by local business sponsorships. Portland is small enough to make organizing something like this possible, but is culturally active and diverse enough to make doing so worthwhile. It's worth noting that Portland is actually "The City of Roses". Even the cop cars have effeminate little roses on them. It's pretty cute. To compensate for this frilly image, they have to be extra aggressive.

How did you find out about Wavelength? What are you looking forward to most about your visit to Toronto?

CC: All of the incredible music coming out of Toronto these days has lead us to not infrequently joke about moving there. Wavelength seems tremendously cool, with a similar ethic to PDXPOP Now! As if the music weren't enough, we're of course thrilled by the adventures promised by Toronto's reputation for world-class call girls and meth, which is really what we're all about. That and listening to dorky audio books in the tour van. WH: The Constantines, Toronto's own, had enthusiastically congratulated us on getting the show, describing it as a sort of bastion for all things indie, where people come for the music and pay attention. I'm rather embarrassed to admit that virtually all of what I know about Toronto I learned from The Conan O'Brien Show. So. . .I'm looking forward to back bacon on a bun, the CN Tower. . .I guess I can't go to Leafs game. . .fraternizing with fellow Rush fans. . .Oh! Do you guys do that boiling-maple-syrup-packed-in-snow roadside dessert in the summertime as well? Maybe with artificial snow? GB: Also, using our incredibly rusty and broken school French.

Preview of Tour Show
by Saby Reyes-Kulkarni

This Portland band insist they're not being facetious when they say they're influenced by Philip Glass and Romanian Gypsy music as much as by their more obvious indie- and post-rock antecedents. Despite their fluency in sounds that reflect the dour reserve typical of the latter, At Dusk distinguish themselves with a sunnier outlook, which they maintain even when their lyrics are nakedly revealing. Without overplaying their offhand sense of humor, songs with suggestive titles like "You Make Me Worry" and "Act of Violence" stay afloat instead of sinking under the weight of the band's attitude. A trio with one former music student and the two others with some formal training, At Dusk sound very much like students -- they poke, pluck and prod at horns, xylophones, cymbals, guitar strings and the like such that the craft in their writing recedes behind a veil of wonder but ultimately isn't lost.

Review of "Heights"
by Ian Mathers

At Dusk's vaguely disappointing The Summer Of Promises Kept luckily still had enough promise to make the band worth watching. So when Heights popped up in my mailbox I was torn between excitement and trepidation: Would the moments of wince-inducing tweeness be excised or embraced? Would they have more quasi-novelty songs like "I Am The Starman"? Would there be anything as haunting as "The Image"? The answers are: excised, no and yes (in spades). The group toured between albums and the experience has audibly toughened them up. Everything from their compositional skills to lead singer Cary Clarke's voice (reminiscent of Ed Robertson from the Barenaked Ladies, but in a good way) have matured and progressed; Heights gets more done in nine songs than the old record did in fourteen.

The first half of the album is more mellow and closer to At Dusk's past work, consisting of clean-limbed indie rock that, if the classic critical formula was used, would work out roughly to (Mission Of Burma + The Byrds) x Terror Twilight. But the crucial difference in the band's approach is already obvious; older songs strove so hard to be pretty that they wound up artlessly affected, whereas now the tunes are content to just be good, pretty or not.

Opener "Come Too Far" sounds much more natural, and the better touches of their earlier style (like drummer Will Hattman's excellent backing vocals) have been retained. It never lapses either lyrically or sonically into the self-conscious quirkiness that hung over At Dusk's older songs; their lyrical approach still balances a sense of optimism and nostalgia with occasional heavy doses of foreboding, but the disparate elements mesh better now.

But as enjoyable as the first side is, the four songs of the second side are the real highlights. "The Face Is That Of An Angel" is an effectively constrained burst of menace but the other three tracks stretch out past the six minute mark to great effect. "Act Of Violence" and "Tired Eyes" approach the epic through skillful application of some truly great choruses and focused instrumental parts that never lapse into formless jamming.

It's hard to structure longer songs like this without getting boring, but both succeed; "Act Of Violence" fakes you out with an almost stereotypically At Dusk-sounding guitar intro before abruptly shifting into a heavier and grimmer sound to kick off into the grimmest and clearest relationship song At Dusk have yet penned. The chorus manages to approximate a firestorm with just some extra percussion and strong bass work. It's not perfect -- the twenty second fade out into a false ending needs to be about a fourth as long -- but it's an utterly stunning piece of work and "Tired Eyes" does it one better.

This entire disc is available for download from At Dusk's website (linked above), but "Tired Eyes" is the one to check out. Reminiscent of Raising The Fawn's similarly superb The North Sea LP, just when you think the song is done with you it sucks you in again and tosses you around for a while. If I'd first heard the second half of Heights blind I don't know if I would have tagged it as At Dusk; the vocals (always a strong point) are still distinctive, but the sound has improved by leaps and bounds.

By the time At Dusk cheekily wave goodbye with "Welcome Home" ("we still have not changed the locks"), they've proved that "Tired Eyes" was no fluke. Given that one of the most frustrating parts of The Summer Of Promises Kept was its inconsistency, the level of quality control here is impressive. At Dusk have done what every band should do after a spotty record; focused, regrouped and hit the next one clean out of the park.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept"
by Carla Costa

At Dusk's style of old-fashioned indie pop has points where it sparkles with mesmerizing melodies and intricate song structures. But for every track that shines, there's one that's lackluster. This record would work better as a stellar EP that maintained imagination rather than a full-length with too much filler.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept"
by Marcel Feldmar

My first thought was something to do with the Olivia Tremor Control -- but nope -- I was wrong. This is more like Mission of Burma (mentioned in the bio). "The Summer" is upbeat and downbeat slightly math-touched pop rock, but with more depth than most bands. When the mood hits deep, you can feel the ground rolling underneath you, and when the songs shift into more prog pop lilting brightness, you think maybe you can fly. There are some elements of conceptual/psychedelic, but also some very strong and solid songwriting moments that make me feel like listening to June of 44, perhaps.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept"
by Philip Buchan

At last it's here. The reconciliation of aggression and beauty, the wedlock-borne child of punk and pop, the perfect illustration of the whole gentle as doves/wise as serpents concept -- and it sounds great. I saw something special brewing in the At Dusk camp when I reviewed their self-titled EP for Splendid awhile back, and now, with this full-length, I have a full understanding of what I was at first only slightly cognizant of. In addition to the six songs that were on that EP, these three gentlemen have penned eight more better songs that marry an array of influences in a way that I'm willing to say hasn't quite been done before. It's daring, in an age where there are 578 bands in every city and only about 30 that anyone ever hears about, to assume that I've got any sort of finger on the pulse of rock and roll, but I feel there's truly some substance to my belief in At Dusk's supreme creativity.

First, however, a note -- this is not the Greatest Band Alive or anything of that sort. This isn't even the best album of the year. The songs are excellent and diligently constructed, but I can think of many more derivative tunes by other acts that carry more emotional resonance. At Dusk has their share of kinks to work out, but with their ever-developing fresh approach, things will only improve in due time.

Indeed, as is the case when humans do anything, At Dusk makes flawed music, and I'm going to assume that you, the reader, listen to lots of music made by humans and are willing to forgive the band for their mortal imperfection. I'm also willing to bet that you've grown weary of hearing Fugazi or The Beatles or Pavement or My Bloody Valentine rehashed for the thousandth time, and there's a good chance that many of your favorite bands that currently exist in 2003 are doing just that. Doing it well, perhaps, but still doing it. And At Dusk isn't. Instead, they've found a way to blend angular '80s post-punk with sunny, orchestral pop. Battering ram drums do battle with Beach Boys harmonies, jagged guitar strumming is leveled off with an organ and a glockenspiel, and propulsive bass lines meet their match in joyous melodies. It's the emotional yet minimalist approach of Joy Divison, the rhythmic playfulness of The Talking Heads, and the childlike whimsy of A Charlie Brown Christmas rolled into songs that play like cohesive essays. It looks ludicrous on paper, and sounds even sillier on your stereo, and yet it all comes together logically in the end. Contrasting elements are rarely welded into coherent, transcendent songs, but At Dusk pulls it off with flying colors.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept"
by John Wenzel

At Dusk is an appropriate name; this is the kind of music created in the twilight hours of an arduous day. It's smart indie rock with a dark-tinged melodic undertone, but it's full of distractions.

Too many distractions. Boatloads of 'em. I hate to write these guys off as "quirky," because they write memorable, jangly instrumentals. The math rock-y drums match '90s indie guitars agreeably, accenting crisply-played notes like a drum student on a final exam. Unfortunately, these guys need a new singing style. Breathy, sensitive and stretched thin over awkward lyrics, the vocals frequently miss their mark. It'd be okay if they weren't aiming for anything, but it's obvious they're trying to reach some sort of Posies/Sloan harmony-plateau.

There's so much potential to rock out, so many near-interesting ideas, you wonder what would happen if At Dusk just let loose. But they do too much in too little time, tripping over themselves and not learning from it.

It's admirable they recorded, mixed and mastered this by themselves. In the end, though, it only matters if you want to listen to it more than a couple times, which is difficult. Too indie for Vagrant, too rough for Polyvinyl, At Dusk sounds like they're imitating something. The Inbreds, maybe? Early '90s Sebadoh? What are they trying to do on this record? I don't care enough to figure it out.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept"
by Erick Mertz

When last I left At Dusk, I suggested they take their music back to the kitchen for more seasoning. I feared that the coaster they'd sent along with the disc would be the only lasting effect they would have on me. As The Summer of Promises Kept arrived, I wondered if there was any chance that they had indeed hit the spice rack and seasoned what was honestly an ordinary disc.

In a word, promises kept.

The work on The Summer of Promises Kept shows a marked sonic improvement over their earlier self-titled release. The songs are snappier and the recording values are deeper, further developed than before with enough ambiances for a double disc. The echoing effect on "Rain In The House" feels like it was recorded in an old Victorian manor. Pleasantly, "Pain" rolls over instrumentally, clean and assured; it is the best song on The Summer of Promises Kept by a nose over a pocketful of other contenders. At their best, At Dusk is one catchy threesome here, sounding sonically similar to earlier DIY era The Flaming Lips, before the concept of world domination came to them.

With these elements, and the marked ability to assert musically, the prospect of another At Dusk disc is suddenly an inviting one.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept"
drb

This album starts out with enough definition that you really think it's going to get somewhere. Unfortunately it never seems to arrive. The band gets close a few times and there are some very interesting bits throughout, but I couldn't seem to find a song that fully panned out to what these former High School chums seem to be trying to accomplish. There is good musicianship throughout but the recording is so clean that it provokes thoughts of a sterile operating room converted into a recording studio. The music generally never really found a deep enough groove to sell the pop-iness that the lyrics and arrangements seem to profess to. The opening track The Deep End, is likely the high point, a song almost catchy enough to get stuck in your head. I was happily surprised to find the bass as prominent as it is throughout the album, yet found myself hoping for a little more change-up to some usually monotonous, though occasionally complex riffs. It's ok and interesting to let a tone ring out a little before cutting it off or, to add an extra note here and there guys. Both bass and guitar could benefit from this advice. On tracks like The Image the main guitar riff almost grabs you but when you realize how precise it is, any emotional response is soon lost. The music in general reminds me of a guitarist I once played with who's greatest downfall was wanting things too perfect. I was happy to hear a few instrumental tracks as the vocals tended to get on my nerves a little and distracted me from enjoying the music. I'm a big fan of 3 part harmony and indie pop-y vocals and lyrics, but many songs reminded me of a bad musical, too many chorus's with a speak and response echo to them and absurdly obscure or blatantly obvious word and phrasing choices. You get the feeling that the vocals are really trying to tell you something but aren't coherent enough to motivate you to care. These guys could make a few changes and improve their sound drastically. Adding a TINY bit more garage sloppiness and trying to say a little less would be a step in the right direction. In general, get a little less serious and more musically free. Maybe add another vocalist to front the band, especially on the mic. Who knows; change the recipe in the right way and I might even become a fan. I get the feeling, like At Dusk, I'm already halfway there.

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept."
by Mikey

Review of "The Summer of Promises Kept" in the October 2003 Issue of READ Magazine
by Adam Liebling

Vocals reminiscent of Morrissey and music reminiscent of Sonic Youth and Mission of Burma, At Dusk can be either cuddly or cheesy, depending on your tolerance to soft-vocalled (but not emo) indie-pop. I personally dig it  they're not so much emotional as simply pleasant. It makes a nice soundtrack to a summer afternoon, and doubles as a decent makeout album.

Review of "At Dusk" EP on 1 August 2003.
By Phillip Buchan

I may put my manhood in question by saying this, but At Dusk have released a cute little EP. There's a pretty little picture of flowers on the front -- tulips, I believe -- hand-drawn and colored in with magic marker. The lyric sheet is a folded piece of standard white paper, cut by hand, and it's just adorable how you can see where the band cut outside the lines here and there. On the back, there's a precious little duck -- and best of all, it says "At Duck" underneath that precious little quacker! Why, I bet their moms and kindergarten teachers are proud -- it's all so sweet, so innocent, so heartfelt... but when you hit the play button, you'll be caught unawares by At Dusk's straight-faced rock and roll.

These three gentlemen are tough at heart, but that's not to say that some of the artwork's qualities don't transfer to the music; chinks in the band's post-punk armor reveal an unassuming, introverted character and a knack for penning sunny harmonies. The flowers and duckies aren't an ironic front as much as the coy yin to the music's minor key yang, with subtle hints of each appearing in the other. It's hard to tell whether At Dusk is an indie pop band with an abrasive punk heart or vice versa, but either way, the results are quite pleasing.

"What May Have Been the Sun" lays out everything you need to know in the album's first five minutes: drums, bass and guitar feed off of one another in a symbiotic manner and the calmly assertive vocals create a sweet lullaby-melody, both in chorus and in verse. The song escapes long-windedness on the strength of its hook and the guitar track's balance of delicacy and ferocity. The next four songs follow a similar route, shining in detail and subtlety without getting too nebulous; imagine Q and Not U battling slight depression in a rainy northwestern climate and you'll be on the right track. "East/West Party" is the wildcard -- the band inches dangerously close to dance-punk territory. Angular guitar strokes and silky basslines get the groove going, and the addition of handclaps is an almost excessively overt invitation to free your ass and let your mind follow. But after only a couple of vocal lines, the song ends -- well before the party can get started. It's strange stuff, but somehow more fun than frustrating.

Like any young band, At Dusk has room to improve, possibly by a little tempered complexity or more meaningful lyrics, but this EP should not be taken as a work in progress -- it's strong enough to stand on its own, cuteness, duck and all.

Review of "At Dusk" EP on Cosmik.com.
By Erick Mertz