Homesick

Everyone needs an album they can cut loose to. An album that you can crank up in your car and just rock out to as your driving down the road. Not necessarily a metal album but an album that hits hard and makes you want to flail your arms in the fashion of those kids at the shows, you know the ones that almost punched you while they were doing windmills with their hands. One said album is Homesick by A Day To Remember, the wonderful post-hardcore band from Florida. This album hits you fast and hard and keeps you banging your head till the end.

A Day To Remember formed in 2003 and has turned out three albums, Homesick being the latest in the discography. The band's pop punk mesh with hardcore has set them apart in the music industry so far.

This album is brutal. As I stated earlier the album is nonstop energy till the end. The listener will have a hard time holding still to this music, I have gotten a couple of wonderful looks from people in the next car over while driving down the road. Though there are some songs that seem redundant and sound very similar, I find the need to blast this record to spread its amazing around the world.

First off the bench is the song "The Downfall Of Us All." This song turns on the hardcore then switches it off again for a well balanced mesh. The verses and the choruses sound very punk popish, but the second the chorus is over you get hit with this blast of gut wrenching power. The vocals flow very smoothly from screams to singing, the usual short fall of bands that switch styles like this. This song is amazing,I mean they start this song out with vocal beats, enough said.

Next up is "I'm Made Of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?" Much heavier than "The Downfall Of Us All," this song hits hard and hits often. The chorus is sang while the verses are screamed with ferocity. The bridge is the deal sealer. After an epic build up all bets are off as Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada joins the group for a guest appearance on the album. The blending of voices takes the song to the next level and leads it into the chorus one last time.

The song that also lends its name to the album is also worth mentioning. Not quite as hard as the other two songs I mentioned, "Homesick" is much more pop punky but still worth mentioning. The song pushes the entire verse, sort of rushing the listener into the chorus. The chorus is much more open and melodic. This entire song feels like a chance for the band to show off their melodic side. Gone are the clashing tones and here are the melodic rifts. This is the most obvious in the bridge where everything backs out and the band leaves the listener with drums, vocals, and spacious guitar. The song could loose energy and become stereotypical after the bridge but instead maintains and builds till the end of the song.

"Another Song For The Weekend," is the last song that I will mention. A song that feels like it should be blaring out your stereo as you drive down the interstate to some far away location. The entire song has an anthem feel about it. You never feel like the song is going to give you time to rest, the verses build up into the choruses and the choruses lead right back into the verses. Then on into the bridge which is like a soft break down, if that makes any sense. Following the bridge is a build consisting of the chorus sung with just drums, the chorus sung while the band plays the background in half time, and finally the chorus sees you down the road.

Though this album might have its weak points at times, I find it outstanding. True some of the harder songs sound similar in both construction and structure, but they are all good songs in their own rights. The album should be purchased if you like punk or hardcore, or if you like bands that take risks in sound.

Always Listening,

Nick