Saves The Day - Daybreak
It's clear from opening track 'Daybreak' that Saves The Day are a special band.
Mainstays in the emo/pop-punk scene since 1997, their new album Daybreak is the final part of a concept trilogy (completed by 2006 release Sound The Alarm and the 2008 release Under The Boards).
The title track is an ambitious 10-minute rock-opera in a similar vein to tracks like Green Day's 'Jesus of Surburbia'.
Chris Conley has a great voice, one that is matched by excellent instrumentation throughout the record.
An incredibly diverse record, Daybreak shows exactly why Saves The Day have lasted as long as they have.
'Let It All Go' would delight fans of New Found Glory, whilst adding a darker edge to the pop-punk formula.
Tracks like 'E' break up the album with some heavier moments that show another side to the record.
No song is really as it seems, with little surprises thrown in to make the whole album unpredictable.
When any band changes their style, hardcore fans from their earlier years will often ignore their later work.
As far as Saves The Day and Daybreak is concerned, it would be a shame for anyone to pass this album up.
Yes, the band have changed, but it's hard not to love tracks like 'Chameleon', and the general unpredictability of the record as a whole.
'Living Without Love' is, at times, closest we get to the band's pop-punk influenced sound, but still has enough to push the genre further.
Conley's vocals really do carry this album, and turn 'O' into a beautiful, soaring ballad that feels a lot less generic than it perhaps should.
Played by any other band, this would seem like something we've heard before, but Saves The Day make it seem special.
Daybreak is, simply, a stunning record from a great band.
Saves The Day have created a record that's as unpredictable as it is consistent, with no weak tracks and constant surprises to engage the listener.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge