Can't Love, Can't Hurt | 
| Manufacturer: Epic
Buy New: $9.90
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 807
Genre: pop-music
Media: Music Download
Running Time: 0 Minutes
ASIN: B0017VNX7I
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
 No sophomore slump here April 30, 2008
A. Rezac (Omaha, NE)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Augustana - mainly known for their smash hit, "Boston", are looking to continue their success on their new album and I think they will succeed. This album is full of soulful songs, many having a somber feel, but nonetheless beautiful. Lead singer, Dan Layus has an amazing voice and it has matured greatly on this album. The band has grown musically, something that was greatly needed if they wanted to stay around. I am impressed with this album - and since I am not a music critic, but just a fan, I definitely would recommend this album. It's short, with only 10 songs and you wish it was longer, but you take what you get. Songs that I recommend:
1) Hey Now - slow at the start, but picks up and gives you a motivational lift
2) I Still Ain't Over You - light, fresh, and fun!
3) Twenty Years - your Augustana ballad; typical but amazing
4) Sweet and Low - their first single; this song has the potential to pass Boston. It is more mature and may even be more catchy than Boston, if that is even possible to think.
And looking for a track that is greatly different than most of their songs on this album and their first - DUST: country feel, great guitar riff/playing
BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR SO FAR! April 30, 2008
M. Cavaliere (Long Island)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
There is no sophmore slump here. This album is beautiful. Dan Layus, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist has really really matured in his singing and songwriting. Dan has a beautiful voice and he gives me shivera at times. The songwriting is heartfelt amd deep and they never cease to amaze me. This album in a good way is a little slower and has less of an edge which is a good thing. I have been a fan since the "midwest...." EP. I first heard "Mayfield" and instantly fell in love with them. "Boston" then was the icing on the cake and I have been patiently waiting for this. The drumming is very good and the guitars are very good as well. The bass fits in with the drumming and the piano work of Layus flows very well with the rest of the band. Only negative is the reworking of "Hey Now" "Heart Shaped Gun" IMO was much better, much more heartfelt in its lyrics and was a gorgeous love song. I can see why they reworked it (the lyrics are a little mature throughout the song)but "hey now" is good too. Here's a run down track by track.
1. Hey Now (7/10) Good song, but the original of "Heart Shaped Gun" was better
2. I Still Ain't Over You (9/10) great song, good lyrics, nice piano in this one, one of the more upbeat songs on the album
3. Sweet and Low (10/10) I love this song a lot, I love the lyrics, really sweet and Dan's voice is very good in this one, one of my favs
4. Twenty Years (10/10) My Personal Favorite. This song makes the CD for me. The lyrics are breathtaking and again heartfelt. Dan's voice as the piano work is amazing and I love the inclusion of strings in this one, This one is my tearjerker
5. Meet You There (9/10) Another favorite. This one is upbeat and has good lyrics
6. Fire (10/10) Amazing. Slowest song on the CD, just Dan and the piano in this one, his voice is breathtaking especially when he holds the notes out at the end, excellent lyrics
7. Either Way, I'll break your heart someday (10/10) Another favorite, pretty upbeat, excellent lyrics, great vocals
8. Dust (7/10) My least favorite. I just can't get into this one as much as the others, still a good song, good lyrics
9. Rest, Shame Love (9/10) more accoustic than the others, still a good song, good lyrics, picks up a little in the chorus
10. Where Love Went Wrong (10/10) Really good closer. The lyrics are very good and I love Dan's voice and well as the piano, nice way to end the CD
 Sophomore Slump April 29, 2008
K. Rice (Los Angeles, CA)
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
Let me be clear: I really want to like this album. After the gritty energy and angst of "Stars and Boulevards", however, Augustana's follow-up album feels tired and formulaic. For anyone who has heard "Heart Shaped Gun" (the pre-album version of "Hey Now") you know what I mean.
My guess is the Sony Execs took one listen to "Heart Shaped Gun", including the short guitar solo that defines the middle section (which, I might add, was masterful in its simplicity), and decided the best way to make the song marketable was to cut out its heart (pun intended).
The album does contain a couple bright spots, most notably "Sweet and Low". Augustana's penchant for soulful grit re-emerges on this track, connecting listeners to the heartfelt discontent that was trademark of Augustana's earlier work.
My recommendation: buy the album. After all, music is an individual experience. If nothing else, you'll be supporting (in my opinion) some of the most talented up-and-coming rock musicians in the industry today - even if their most recent effort doesn't quite live up to their potential.
Can't Love, Can't Hurt, Can't Stop Listening May 1, 2008
M. Usic (IL)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Augustana's sophomore effort, Can't Love, Can't Hurt, is an impressive evolution from All The Stars and Boulevards. After going through various talent changes since the release of the last album, the current composition of the band now includes Chris Sachtleben on guitars and John Vincent on keyboards along with original band members Jared Palomar(bass), Justin South(drums), and frontman Dan Layus(vocals, piano, guitar). The cohesion of this new line-up, coupled with artistic maturity, developed through months on tour, has resulted in a refined sound that will undoubtedly impress long-time fans and attract many new ones.
Highlights of the album include:
Sweet and Low - A catchy single poised to get even more airplay than "Boston."
Fire - This simple, yet powerful, acoustic piano track demonstrates the producer's restraint, and leaves Layus' unique, unadulterated vocals echoing in my head for hours.
Dust - A gritty, alt-countryesque track with a feel that bears more resemblance to a Ryan Adams or Wilco album than to "All The Stars and Boulevards."
fantastic April 29, 2008
T. Elsen (Appleton, WI USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i think this record is wonderful. my only problem is the length, i was hoping after more than a two year wait i would get more than ten songs, but those ten songs are amazing. augustana have matured in to a career band rather than "that band that sang Boston". they wrote many more songs than were included on the record, and i imagine that it was incredibly difficult to choose just ten, because every one they wrote was worthy of release.
in short, get this album. it touches on rock, soul, alt-country, americana and all things good. go get it.
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