Shake it up a bit
With two years having flown by since the release of their debut album 'Ways to Escape,' British punk rockers The Living Daylights deem it time to add to their discography, releasing second LP 'What Keeps You Breathing'. The band have been built with the right punk rock blocks, but it just feels like some of them have been overused and that they have all been painted the same colour.
Not that punk rock should be over produced and littered with needless detailing, but there are far too many instances throughout the album where the texture just consists of strumming guitars and unadventurous basslines; there always seems to be a layer or two missing. The melodic vocal style works reasonably well, but none of the choruses grab you by the heart. This album is a bit like a musical one-night-stand; it's passable as a one-off, but you cannot envisage yourself emotionally committing for the long run.
The Living Daylights have grown to be quite a tight ensemble and their musicianship cannot be faulted. However, their compositions just lack direction and identity. At the moment, they just feel like a generic clone of Rise Against with no ambition of developing as innovators. 'Maybe Escapes' shows signs of promise with a strong melodic statement at the beginning of every chorus, but once again resorts to undirected and undecorated power chord strumming. 'A Thousand Lights' is arguably one of the strongest tracks on the album and there are numerous elements that work to great effect. The rhythmic repetition in the verse vocal melody works exceptionally well and the harmonisation of the third repetition is just perfect. Possessing one of the best choruses of the album, this is definitely a track worth checking out. It would be interesting to see what could be made of this song if it were reworked slightly, perhaps under the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable producer.
The air may be getting a little thin, but it seems there is enough stored in the tank to keep The Living Daylights breathing for a little while longer. There are positives to be drawn from this second album and with a few nudges in the right direction, this little band from Lincoln could go a long way.