I'm perpetually searching for the next record that makes me glad to be alive. Not that I'm not happy with my life. But certain records can add something to your existence that it otherwise is lacking. Like a sense of ecstatic jubilance, or a rush of adrenaline that propels you into your day with bounding defiance, as the floor had been replaced with a trampoline. It might seem trite to describe a record on these terms, but I don't think there is a single music lover out there who hasn't felt this way about an album at one time or another. Today that record for me is Praise's All In A Dream. The Baltimore melodic hardcore band is one of those rare breeds that isn't hampered by a lack of speed or aggression. Their music is plenty up-tempo, but winning a land speed record (even as far as Husker Du fans go) or pummeling you into submission isn't high on their list of priorities. Praise's All In A Dream blithe rebellion is less pressed to impress and more geared to inspire. You can pick this up from the guitar tones alone. A kind of benevolent, multi-colored bath of distortion that peers over the horizon of these songs like the first rays of morning light. Beyond these textures, Anthony Dye and Austin Stemper guitar playing is thoroughly hook-oriented, combining to smooth out the anxious violence and slam of youth crew grooves, heightening their ebbs and polishing their flows until they resemble the cadence of a panting breath. This exuberance is matched by Andy Norton's vocals, which have an endearing atonal quality that allows him to shout his lungs out while remaining somewhat conversant, like he's a friend whose overly excited to share an experience with you and the rawness of his enthusiasm has caused him to lose the ability to properly modulate his voice. The entire project is kept on the straight and narrow through the guiding propulsion of Chris Bavaria's bass lines and Daniel Fang's steady but splashy, "slap you awake" kit work, which allows Praise to advance rutty punk anthems like the 360 slide of "Return to Life," the rejuvenating reconcile and rush of "Suddenly Human," and the bracing implore of "Keep Hanging On" with credible uplift, and a momentum that exalts the humble dignity of the lives and hard-won wisdom that prompted their writing in the first place. There is no reason to defer the pleasure of encountering the melodic goodness of All In A Dream for yourself. It might just be the thing you need to greet another day head-on.
