Just when you think you have found your new favourite Lobster Records band (Park), along comes another (Over It). Then when your former fave band release their new CD, that launches itself to the top of the pile again; that is until the next band sign to the label and you start all over again. In recent times the Lobster Records roster has been amongst the best of any label around, taking in Yellowcard, Whippersnapper, Staring Back and the aforementioned Park and Over It. Now the Californian label has come up trumps with New Jersey youngsters Days Like These, who take elements of bands like Park and then stomp their own identity all over it.
For a debut record this is a very accomplished effort. There are some strong melodies, the production is spot-on and the musicianship belies the band’s youthfulness and inexperience. The best part about Days Like These is that they refuse to buckle and play a forced brand of emotional rock, complete with quiet/loud interludes, which is brainwashing everyone. Instead they come up with an emotional soaked sound that mixes soaring guitars and crashing drums with a very strong vocal presence. It’s all highly impressive stuff. Take the opening ‘The Dawning’, a track that a band with 10 albums under their belt would probably struggle to write. Angel’s impressive vocals stamp their mark, as they do throughout, but it’s the guitars and melodies that really stick out.
Whilst ‘The Dawning’ is arguably their best song, Days Like These are far from one trick ponies. ‘Preparation: Anxiety’ and ‘Beneath The Surface’ are cleverly performed and executed, with Angel’s vocals being brought out by Darian Rundall’s superb production. ‘Charity.Burns.Green’ is fantastic while ‘In Time’ is stripped down to acoustic guitars and loses none of the power. Although they do come from the infamous New Jersey stable of bands, there’s no influence from any of the ‘scene’ bands, which is healthy at a time when every other band is a copy of Taking Back Thursday. ‘Threefold’ emphasises the quality, meaning all eleven tracks are great value for money.
Days Like These will very slowly make an impact this year. This record is a great singalong melodic rock record which avoids all the emo clichés and focuses on the music. Another impressive addition to the Lobster family, this is a band that look set for bigger things.
www.dayslikethese.com
Lobster Records
Paul