Avid Dancer – 1st Bath
Rating: 
Jacob Dillion Summers, or the man behind the moniker of Avid Dancer, has lived quite a variety of lives. From a strict childhood home in which he only listened to Christian music, to joining the Marines as a drummer, to currently living in Venice Beach—Summers’ life has been anything but linear or straightforward. Naturally, this is mirrored in his music: while sometimes he gives you dance tracks of sultry indie pop, at other times he is reserved, spinning tunes of delicate acoustic music. 1st Bath is Summers’ debut full-length release, and he’ll have you dancing for sure.
Opening track “All The Other Girls” is a mild beginning, but it gives you a solid foundation for the rest of the album. This song grooves along from its initial moments, a combination of crisp percussion, soft synth sound, clean electric guitar licks and Summers’ even toned distant vocals. You think that you’ve discovered all there is to hear from this number, but then at the end you get a surprising entrance of saxophone that adds a surprising yet enjoyable outro. Then, a few tracks later you get the soft side of Avid Dancer in the form of radio ready gentle pop song, “All Your Words Are Gone.” This is quite a departure from the two songs that came before it, evoking a wistful and fairly whimsical quality. Summers sings carefree lyrics like “Throw away all things not worth needing/ Open your eyes and start believing,” and there’s even a “da-da-da” break within the track.
By the time you get to “I Want To See You Dance,” you’re itching for another danceable tune from Avid Dancer, and this track does not fail to deliver just that. Here, we’re back to the sultry dance-able indie pop, which shows Summers at his best. This song evokes the feeling of standing on the edge of the party only to be pulled onto the dance floor by your friends or perhaps an alluring stranger and then having the time of your life in a sweaty blur of motion. The drums are hi-hat heavy, there’s a gritty guitar riff in there, some synth meanders in and out and the lyrics provide the role of that ensnarer; roping you in with his words.
For a debut record, 1st Bath shows great promise from Avid Dancer although its focus could be a little narrower. I find myself returning to some of the catchier dance beats, but some of the slower numbers haven’t quite captured my full attention. Regardless, there is enough substance here to merit a looking forward to what Jacob Dillion Summers has in store for us in the future.