Take one listen to Augustana's self-titled third album and it's clear that this band has thrown off the shackles of playing it safe. Lead vocalist and lyricist Daniel Layus has dug deep and emerged with a passionate, rootsy rock collection that is distinctively American, recalling the muscularity and epic sweep of albums by Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen in their heyday. The album is a shimmering blend of rock, folk, and country that manages to sound both modern and timeless. The subtle, streamlined production by Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones) lets the true beauty of Layus soulful vocal delivery, as well as the band's barnstorming performances, shine through.
"A lot of the songs are about digging in your heels and not giving up the fight for someone you love," he says. Layus describes the first single, "Steal Your Heart," as "an ultimate song of love and hope. I've never really written about that before," he says. "I've never done anything that blatant. It's a hand-in-the-sky, take-no-prisoners kind of moment where you just have no choice but to lay it all out there."

从单曲Sweet And Low到Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt的Ep，最终也该轮到这张正式大碟了。Augustana彻头彻尾诠释了因为单曲而大放光芒的神话，当然在这里我不是因为Boston而贬低All The Stars And Boulevards中的其他歌曲。华丽的英伦忧伤味或许始终是Augustana的一大标志，我非常欣赏他们的钢琴演绎，似乎只要那简单干净的钢琴音色一响起，Dan那独一无二的声音也便缓缓而至。其实说实话Dan的口音以及演唱方式对我来说并不感觉很英伦，只是他们的音乐技巧以及节奏旋律的把握似乎受了英式音乐的影响，一个完美的中间产物造就了如今大红大紫的Augustana，无论是偏爱美国主流Pop的人，还是喜欢英式摇滚的朋友都会趋之若骛。动听的旋律以及娓娓道来的温暖感从Boston延续到了Sweet And Low。倾听Augustana的同时，想必很多人都会感受到那股莫名的忧伤，而这种忧伤因为旋律的出色又深得人心，难怪很多人都会时不时的随手播放他们的歌曲。在一阵一阵洗涤心灵的钢琴声后，我们又会感觉到雨后彩虹般的绚丽和舒服，久久不能平静，不能自拔，这就是Augustana所能制造的美妙。