Fri April 2

Dante's

1 SW 3rd

Given the current average age of the emo rocker, Audio Learning Center is what would be considered an old band. In blunter terms, they are an ancient rock corpse, left to float aimlessly in a sea of fresh-faced pretty boys who have the band beat in fans and following. Their place in the modern-rock landscape is that of the old-men-out, sticking out like a sore thumb on Vagrant Records' kiddie-emo roster of Get Up Kids and Dashboard Confessional. It's really a shame, considering that Audio Learning Center is still very much alive and kicking, proving themselves as a viable force of talented musicians with a knack for penning a personal song or two. Their second album, Cope Park, is just that--a selection of songs that showcases the band's heart-on-sleeve persona, but without tainting their emotion with the error of youth.

Cope Park begins like all records should: with an attention-capturing opening song that draws you in before the hook and chorus ever bother showing up. "Waking Up With Eyes Still Closed" kicks off the record with a simple piano line and the quiet lyrics: "Waking up with eyes still closed/ Sunlight against my lids/ Half here/ Half-awake" before erupting into an all-chorus crescendo of instrumentation and vocals. Much like an early morning half-slumbered haze, the song is unsure of itself as it begins only to rise in volume and confidence as time progresses. The rest of Cope Park stays true to that path, songs start out with unsure footing, only to unwaveringly progress along the way.

With age comes wisdom, and Audio Learning Center know it. Their musical direction has been long coming, with singer/bassist Christopher Brady formerly fronting Pond, and guitarist Steven Birch a member of Sprinkler. While their awkward position of being the elder statesmen in what is a young man's game might be an inopportune fit, the band seems comfortable where they're at. And if Cope Park is a sign of a band aging gracefully, then all bands should be so lucky.