Dance-punk is tricky. What if you’re too dancey? Punks won’t like that. What if you’re too punk? Nobody’s gonna dance to that. So, yes, dance-punk is tricky. However, not impossible. Take it from Colorado’s The Photo Atlas, a group that turns “energy” into a genre.

With bumblebee-like buzzing guitars (“Swear I’m Innocent,” the first single; “Shakin’ in My Skin”) and a dance tempo that practically moves your feet for you, there’s a definite feel of the self-produced nature of the album.
 
Alan Andrews’ high-pitch vocals could draw comparisons to anybody from the poppiness of Hot Hot Heat’s Steve Bays to Daryl Palumbo to Conor Oberst at times (example: the breakdown during “Tell Me Again”).
 
Throughout the album, the band’s speed and intensity never falters. The dual guitars of Andrews and Bill Threlkeld, backed by Mark Hawkins’ bass (which is given a bit of a spotlight during “Shakin’ in My Skin) and Josh Taylor’s drumming doesn’t relent for the half-hour span of the record. From the first chords of “The Glass Crashed” through the end fade-out of “Memory Like a Sinking Ship,” the intensity and energy are at an 11.
 
Stuck in a Honey Trap may take a few listens to digest. But that’s a good thing. What makes the album stick with the listener is the newness of the sound and the feel of it – some small aspects of it have been attempted before, but as a whole, this is a style that hasn’t really had its peak yet. With a headlining tour on its way, The Photo Atlas have a chance to make a pretty big impression.
 
Rating: 3.25/5
Total Runtime: 32 Minutes
Release Date: February 12th, 2013
Tracklist:
1. “The Glass Crashed”
2. “Dress Code”
3. “Bleeding Colors”
4. “Swear I’m Innocent”
5. “Shakin’ In my Skin”
6. “Tell Me Again”
7. “Move It Darlin’”
8. “Screenplay”
9. “Memory Like a Sinking Ship”
 
The Photo Atlas is:
Alan Andrews - Vocals, guitar
Bill Threlkeld - Guitar
Mark Hawkins- Bass
Josh Taylor - Drums

Review By: Eric Riley