For most teens fresh out of high school, their first steps usually include enjoying their impending summer vacations and then heading into the workforce or continuing on to higher education. But the members of The Dangerous Summer quickly realized that they weren’t like “most teens.” Three quarters of the melodic indie rock act are graduates from the Class of 2007, and aren’t even legal adults, but these decidedly young professional musicians haven’t let their ages dissuade them from pursuing their dreams in making a living — and a difference.

This difference comes from their passion and artistry via the release of their seven track Hopeless Records debut, “If You Could Only Keep Me Alive” AJ Perdomo, Cody Payne, Bryan Czap and Tyler Minsberg have all been staking their own claims and following through with any plans they’d devise. And though the band’s just completed its first year together, the history these members share run far deeper, allowing them to explore musical boundaries that are significantly further from the typical startup project.

The debut kicks things off with the progressive, brawny building of ‘I Would Stay,’ of which Perdomo tags “a screwy love song.” This is followed by ‘The Permanent Rain’ which has a dancy, poppy feel to it, reminiscent of Fall Out Boy. ‘Here We Are After Dark’ and ‘Wake Up’ possess key yet essential pop-punk characteristics, while sharing a musical pairing of harmonic vocals and instrumentation. ‘Home’ has a rock/alternative/punk feel to it. The vocals are almost alternative and deep, while the instruments are rock/punkish. This gives the song a harmonic chewy center with a crunchy outer crust. (I suddenly have the urge for some Taco Bell). The EP concludes with the track ‘Of Confidence’. This song follows the same musical pattern as the rest of the EP but has a nice instrumental ‘intermission’ halfway throughout the song. I also love how the song ends with the band chanting together in unison.

Reaching out to its audience is something the members of The Dangerous Summer have made into a personal mission. “It’s cool the way people have perceived my lyrics,” says Perdomo. “I got a lot of great response. People are relating to my lyrics. Going to shows and people know the words and spreading that all around — we’re trying to make a career out of something that we love doing.” I believe the band has done a great job with this debut EP and with a little more fine tuning and experimentation, I feel their full length could be a smash and they could very quickly turn some heads, if they haven’t done so already.

Rating: 7.2/10