The Ataris: ‘Welcome the Night’
The Ataris
Welcome the Night
Rating: 4/5
Tracks to download: “We All Become Smoke,” “From the Last Call,” “The Ghost of Last December”
For fans of: The Early November, Jamison Parker
“Welcome the Night,” the Ataris’ fifth and supposedly final studio album, has been delayed by Columbia Records since 2005 due to dissatisfaction with the direction of the record. Many rumors have surfaced suggesting that this album was originally intended to be released under another band’s name. However, Columbia convinced them to release it under the Ataris brand. Other rumors have spread reporting that they demanded that lead singer Kris Roe write some songs they felt would be more commercially successful. This supposedly led to the removal of two songs from the original track listing, which were replaced by three new ones. Finally, the album was delayed further as Columbia dropped its rights to the record. Sanctuary Records then picked up the rights to the album, which has now been released with only five of the songs from the original track listing.
With all of this history taken into consideration, the version of “Welcome the Night” that is now in stores everywhere is the Ataris’ best work. Songs on it range from crushingly depressing to up-tempo and uplifting, exploring subject matter such as drug addiction, spirituality and the individual’s lasting mark on the world.
In “The Cheyenne Line,” the Ataris try to emphasize their belief that a life full of substance abuse does not leave any lasting mark on the world. Roe sings, “We threw out all convictions / and traded them for substance / this life you hold so near / will fade in time.” Roe builds on the importance people place on their own lives in order to tear down the idea that it will be important to anyone else if all an individual has stood for is addiction.
One of the most strangely reassuring songs on the album, “From the Last, Last Call,” makes reference to Roe’s PCP overdose in Berlin, Germany. At the end of the track Roe sings softly with shame, “And will you forgive me / when I found out I was stray / on the outskirts of the room / doubled up on angel dust / there crying on my knees.” Suddenly after, the song breaks out into one of the most sing-along spots on the album as Roe belts, “I’m not right, no, I’m not right / I never want to know what I’m capable of,” with conviction that will survive throughout time.
The rest of the album is just as strong as the two songs detailed. “We All Become Smoke” expands on the themes of faith and a person’s place in history and features the nicest falsetto on the record. “The Ghost of December” is slow and powerful, featuring another great sing-along chorus. “Secret Handshakes” details Roe’s embitterment towards his ex-father-in-law and his involvement with the Freemasons, using cello to craft one of the most intense moments on the album.
Overall, “Welcome the Night” is a commanding look at Roe’s feelings of loss, addiction and redemption. Sonically, the album creates a tense but sobering mood to fit its distressed lyrics. While it may have taken four years and countless track listing changes, we can be thankful that “Welcome the Night” has finally seen the light of day.
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