Review
SAVES THE DAY – DAYBREAK
Released 13th September 2011 (Razor & Tie)
Words: Richard Heaven
Hearts break, hopes die and people find themselves travelling paths they never could have foreseen – that is life. And like life itself, Saves The Day have grown and changed in ways they could never have imagined in their 14 years as emo/indie icons.
I’ll come out and say it – I feel like this is the most mature album Saves The Day have released. I don’t mean mature in a ‘Blink182 have stopped making fart jokes’ way, but I’ll say it in the sense that lyricist Chris Conley sounds more comfortable in his own skin then ever before. In a cinematic sense, you feel like it’s the soundtrack to the fledgling relationship of Tom and Autumn at the end of (500) Days of Summer – it has that burnt-but-optimistic vibe about it.
Enough of the comparisons though. The title track itself is a ten minute, five part epic which accounts for a full quarter of the album. It indulges in a number of styles with minimalistic, airy sections giving way to pop punk and everything in between. Whether you’re a fan of the over-indulgent Angels and Airways or the toned down, earthy Shoes Or Socks Off you’ll find something to enjoy in this song.
Daybreak and Let It All Go are the stand out tracks for me, with the latter hinting at their older sound and simple, to the point lyrics. I wouldn’t say there’s a single bad track on it, from the low-fi garage indie of 1984 to adventurous Chameleon.
Of course, this album won’t please everyone. As much as I enjoyed Daybreak, there were moments where I wished for the energetic pop punk of Shoulder To The Wheel to raise it’s head once again, breaking the perfect production with some rawer passion. But as I said, this is the sound of a band that has grown up and matured (cliche I know, but it’s true) and if it isn’t for you then maybe it’s time to thank Saves The Day for the good times and move on.
A thrilling, emotionally charged album which should please any open-minded Saves The Day fan.
