Review by Nathan GDL on November 19, 2021.

So far in the band's relatively inconsistent discography, Eternal and Everything are the only real "duds", and by that, it's only comparable to the absolute perfection that a few of their albums contain. Eternal was a bit disappointing, but on The Light Of September, the band has ever so slightly returned to form.

Starting things off with the incredibly catchy and dance-rock oriented title track, it shows off with its steady 4 x 4 kick supporting the saccharine sweet lead synth well enough to be the best song on the album. In some ways, it reminds me of a lighter and friendlier 'Past Tense', the awesome opener on their third album. As I've stated in other reviews, the band is known for its supremely well written opening tracks, sans the newest abomination of an album, often putting the best track first to start off as strong as possible. Often, this leads to a nice flow, but on this album, unfortunately, the supporting tracks don't come too close to make the album as strong as it could be.

Songs like the next one, 'New Hope' are just that, hopeful. This is probably the most indie the band has ever sounded, with a clean guitar passage coming straight out of a midday teen pregnancy reality drama or a youthful college romance or something abhorrent like that. Not to say the song is bad, it's super different for AAFCC, even with their indie undertones, it never professed itself this loud before. Super solid song that makes way to another excellent track, 'Hiding In The Dark', which is perhaps the closest the band has come to sounding to my favorite 'Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love'. The synth pattern that plays underneath the chaos sounds just like it could be a leftover from that recording era, and because of that, it already tickles my nostalgia bone.

All in all, a very nice record, if a bit stale in some spots, but to be expected in the latter part of the band's career. Catchy hooks, memorable phrases, incredible synthwork and preppy indie drums litter this album, and if one thing can be taken from this LP, it's easily their most accessible, with its strong songwriting focus, at the expense of some huge walls of sound earlier albums were beloved for.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10