Forget what you know about The Ataris. This album is nothing like The Ataris that you know, in fact it was rumored that The Ataris planned to release Welcome the Night under a different band name, but couldn’t due to their record label’s decision. What the label didn’t really take into account is that after five years and a drastically different sound; maybe changing their name like they changed their music isn’t such a bad idea. Basically, the sound is so different that it seems that everything The Ataris use to stand for is deceased.
Welcome the Night sounds nothing like some of The Ataris past hits most emo-kids have grown to love like, “San Dimas High School Football Rules” or “In This Diary.” Instead, when listening to the album, remnants of The Killers, Brand New and The Smiths are heard. It is obvious that The Ataris reformed their sound by trading in their “pop-emo” sound for a more honest sound; nothing sounds forced here. Welcome the Night was supposedly set to be released in 2005 but pushed to 2007 by Columbia Records for not being too happy about the direction of the album. This could possibly be because it is much more mellow and reflective as opposed to other Ataris upbeat albums. This is an album to put on during a snow day; the sound is completely different, but if you aren’t afraid to listen to it, you’ll find yourself drifting away to it.
