Review:Twilight City by Are You Afraid Of The Dog

Artist-Are You Afraid Of The Dog
Album- Twilight City
Date- June 2015
Country-Ottawa,Canada
Genre:Nintendocore, Chiptune

Track List:

1.Prelude 01:53
2.Soaring 02:21
3.Mer Bleue 03:05
4.Futuristic 03:15
5.Castle 02:25
6.Corridor 01:55
7.Fortress 02:25
8.Illuminate 02:39
9.Pinnacle 03:27
10.Denouement 04:10

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REVIEW BY UNICORNHOLE

What a great and appropriate title "Twilight City" is. Are You Afraid of the Dog's new full-length CD is a moody chiptune adventure indeed. The album art also perfectly captures the essence of the melancholy and nostalgic tunes. Travis' concise description of the album expands further on its themes, calling it "the soundtrack to [his] life." All these aspects come together with the music for a CD that is truly an experience, if given adequate attention.

    The music itself is obviously reminiscent of the NES and SNES days of gaming- pretty much a given in the chiptune genre. For me this style is inherently nostalgic; I find myself drifting back to the days when my main goals in life were completing levels and defeating bosses. But unlike many other chiptune artists, AYAOTD captures those feelings in the music itself and comes full circle- at least for me. Everything is well composed from start to finish. There are no icky notes or poor transitions to distract the listener from the atmosphere the CD creates. So once you take the bait, you're hooked.

    There are some things I might have done differently. Most of the tracks fade out at the end, and I'm typically against that. Sometimes it fits in this CD's case, but other times I wish the song had a more definite conclusion. Twilight City also features some heavier sections that I would have liked more if they'd kept the mood of the song present at the same time. These are just small nitpicks though. The melodies themselves always stay focused, and never feel hammy or gaudy.

    Twilight City makes me wish I could go back in time for one night. Wish I could be a kid again- playing my SNES with nothing else in the world on my mind. A CD that makes me say "wow, that's catchy!" or "ohh, nasty breakdown!" is one thing. A CD that gives me an emotional response and changes the rest of my day is something else entirely. I'm not gonna give it a number score, because that doesn't really add anything to what I've said. The CD is well written, themed, and produced. I'd most certainly recommend it to anyone.

Favorite track: Mer Bleue. It brings Aquatic Ambiance from DKC to mind, which is always a good thing. No track stands out as being my least favorite.