’s been a while folks, and I have nothing to offer by way of apology except for a sheepish defence of the powers of procrastination. Now this band I’m going to review today, I have wanted to for a long time – these guys practically created their own genre, which they still dominate with aplomb. If you are wondering if the statement “they have their own genre” is getting a wee bit stale, you have got the situation almost exactly wrong. With reviewers’ penchant for creating a handful of genres every week, it is very impressive that these guys have defied classification even after three full length albums.
The band I’m talking about, A Day To Remember, is an American band. The album I’ll be talking about is called ‘Homesick’ and is their third offering to be released into the wild. Having whetted your appetites about the kind of music they play, it might seem appropriate that I start off with a description of their playing style. Every one of their songs has two markedly different sections – a pop punk (usually chorus ) section where the painfully sweet vocals of lead singer Jeremy McKinnon serve up simple pop melodies, and a metalcore/deathcore section where the song is completely amped up to the point where death growls, harsh screams and breakdowns wipe away any semblance of the pop. Until of course the pop returns during the next chorus; and goes away again. You might think that the two genres don’t mix, and such an experiment will inevitably sound ridiculous, but the opposite seems to be true. I’ve always felt that hardcore has punk roots, and this band just proves my point.
‘Homesick’ has been unfavourably compared to their earlier albums, and perhaps justifiably so. Some reviewers have pointed out that the novelty associated with the fusion of genres is fast wearing off, and I would have agreed a couple of months previously, but not today. This album has grown on me slowly, moving from a state of complete disdain to a regular playlist slot. On the other hand, if you are starting off your ‘popcore’ (one genre suggestion for this band) journey with this album, I think even the slowness won’t be an issue. ‘Downfall of us All’ was the first song I listened to, or rather watched, as it’s the only song off the album that has an associated video. It starts off with a bunch of gang chants, that soon fuse with a breakdown typical of the band. Combined with a fairly melodic chorus, this song makes for a good listen. ‘I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?’ was the only song that I really enjoyed on my first listen, to be honest. Again typical of the band, this song has a catchy chorus, nicely complemented by the screaming and the breakdowns.
Video: The Downfall Of Us All
Video: I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What're You Made Of?
‘Welcome To The Family’ and ‘Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End’ almost perfectly capture the musical essence of this band. Both start off with heavy deathcore growls and amp down into clean vocals for the chorus portions. First timers might find the genre switches disconcerting, but both songs are excellent listens once you get used to them. ‘NJ Legion Iced Tea’ was the first single released by the band – it was an interesting choice because this song is almost totally pop punk/alternative with hardly any hardcore portions. However, it might have been the right choice because it hints at the trend towards more ‘punkness’ in this album. Most other songs, including ‘Homesick’ and ‘Have Faith in Me’ are stylistically similar, mostly punk, with hints of hardcore. One song that deserves a special mention is ‘If It Means A Lot To You’ featuring guest vocals by Sierra Kusterbeck. Nearly three quarters of the song is acoustic. This song might have only been mediocre on an album full of acoustic recordings; but on this album, it nicely complements the other, heavier songs.
Video: Welcome To The Family
Will you like this album? If you like metalcore, and can tolerate punk, there’s a good chance you’ll like this album. Or flipping that statement around, if you like punk, and can tolerate metalcore, you’ll love this album. Also, if you are a fan of alternative rock, A Day To Remember, is probably the most palatable introduction to the world of metalcore you can get. If you absolutely detest nasal punk crooning (or metalcore screaming for that matter), I think you’d rather stay away. There’s one more thing: having defended this album against criticism, I have to admit that it still comes off worse in a song to song comparison with its predecessor ‘For Those Who Have Heart’. If you want to start off listening to this band, that album might be a better choice.
(Vocals 8/10, Guitaring 7/10, Lyrics 7/10, Originality 9.5/10, Overall: 7.9/10)
The band I’m talking about, A Day To Remember, is an American band. The album I’ll be talking about is called ‘Homesick’ and is their third offering to be released into the wild. Having whetted your appetites about the kind of music they play, it might seem appropriate that I start off with a description of their playing style. Every one of their songs has two markedly different sections – a pop punk (usually chorus ) section where the painfully sweet vocals of lead singer Jeremy McKinnon serve up simple pop melodies, and a metalcore/deathcore section where the song is completely amped up to the point where death growls, harsh screams and breakdowns wipe away any semblance of the pop. Until of course the pop returns during the next chorus; and goes away again. You might think that the two genres don’t mix, and such an experiment will inevitably sound ridiculous, but the opposite seems to be true. I’ve always felt that hardcore has punk roots, and this band just proves my point.
‘Homesick’ has been unfavourably compared to their earlier albums, and perhaps justifiably so. Some reviewers have pointed out that the novelty associated with the fusion of genres is fast wearing off, and I would have agreed a couple of months previously, but not today. This album has grown on me slowly, moving from a state of complete disdain to a regular playlist slot. On the other hand, if you are starting off your ‘popcore’ (one genre suggestion for this band) journey with this album, I think even the slowness won’t be an issue. ‘Downfall of us All’ was the first song I listened to, or rather watched, as it’s the only song off the album that has an associated video. It starts off with a bunch of gang chants, that soon fuse with a breakdown typical of the band. Combined with a fairly melodic chorus, this song makes for a good listen. ‘I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?’ was the only song that I really enjoyed on my first listen, to be honest. Again typical of the band, this song has a catchy chorus, nicely complemented by the screaming and the breakdowns.Video: The Downfall Of Us All
Video: I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What're You Made Of?
‘Welcome To The Family’ and ‘Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End’ almost perfectly capture the musical essence of this band. Both start off with heavy deathcore growls and amp down into clean vocals for the chorus portions. First timers might find the genre switches disconcerting, but both songs are excellent listens once you get used to them. ‘NJ Legion Iced Tea’ was the first single released by the band – it was an interesting choice because this song is almost totally pop punk/alternative with hardly any hardcore portions. However, it might have been the right choice because it hints at the trend towards more ‘punkness’ in this album. Most other songs, including ‘Homesick’ and ‘Have Faith in Me’ are stylistically similar, mostly punk, with hints of hardcore. One song that deserves a special mention is ‘If It Means A Lot To You’ featuring guest vocals by Sierra Kusterbeck. Nearly three quarters of the song is acoustic. This song might have only been mediocre on an album full of acoustic recordings; but on this album, it nicely complements the other, heavier songs.
Video: Welcome To The Family
Will you like this album? If you like metalcore, and can tolerate punk, there’s a good chance you’ll like this album. Or flipping that statement around, if you like punk, and can tolerate metalcore, you’ll love this album. Also, if you are a fan of alternative rock, A Day To Remember, is probably the most palatable introduction to the world of metalcore you can get. If you absolutely detest nasal punk crooning (or metalcore screaming for that matter), I think you’d rather stay away. There’s one more thing: having defended this album against criticism, I have to admit that it still comes off worse in a song to song comparison with its predecessor ‘For Those Who Have Heart’. If you want to start off listening to this band, that album might be a better choice.
(Vocals 8/10, Guitaring 7/10, Lyrics 7/10, Originality 9.5/10, Overall: 7.9/10)
