Augustana are a heartland equivalent of Coldplay and Keane, with a touch of mid-'90s adult alternative throwback (think Counting Crows or the Wallflowers) also peppering their mellow, piano-based music. 3 ½ stars. Augustana deliver a pleasant mix of traditional, vaguely rootsy pop/rock songs with Dan Layus' affable vocals at the forefront. "Hey Now" and "I Still Ain't Over You" set the stage within the album's first nine minutes -- inspired but not grandiose, they deliver a sort of grounded uplift for those who prefer their Fray albums with a side of Limbeck's twangy pop and sweet harmonies. Accordingly, Can't Love, Can't Hurt is more aligned with Counting Crows than Coldplay -- even when the piano dominates the instrumentation, it does so with the same dusty, alt-rock reverence as Adam Duritz's delivery on "A Long December." Those looking to slow-dance and/or hoist their lighters will find a friend in "Fire," the album's closet cousin to "Boston," but this sophomore effort has much more to offer.-AMG. Can't Love, Can't Hurt strays little from the band's signature combination of soft, driving rhythms and simple--but meaningful--lyrics, anchored by frontman Dan Layus' sultry piano riffs and intimate vocals, while also exploring a darker, more mature sound that begs not to be taken lightly. Seamlessly blending piano rock with dream-pop, Augustana dares listeners to a contemplate heartfelt, powerful tracks that shift between piano-and-vocals only vignettes of pure, ivory-pounding passion ("Fire") to ballads with hushed country-western influence ("Dust"), a sign that the group's small town, midwestern roots have weathered a migration to San Diego and scores of television appearances--a small piece of history that lends a big hand in shaping the band's evolution. This time around, a solid, well produced album--released just in time to be a perfect soundtrack to a leisurely, late night drive in spring nights that yearn for summer--may be just enough to satisfy listeners and still leave them wanting more. -Pegasus News.
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