Saves The Day-Daybreak
The third and final part in a trilogy and the band's seventh album overall, "Daybreak" sees a hope shining through after the introspective darkness of 2006's "Sound The Alarm" and 2007's "Under The Boards". The classic emo hooks of old subtly remain, not least in frontman and only original member Chris Conley's instantly recognizable vocals, but there's a real experimentalism to the modern day incarnation of the band that at times even reminds of Radiohead in its delicate guitar nuances and pre-meditated song structures.
The epic near-eleven minute five-part opener for example shows these features off with all guns blazing, bringing in all kinds of elements that the band have slowly gelled into their sound over the years. Parts of it possess the perky pop-punk sing-a-long quality that made the band so loved in the first place in the 'Through Being Cool' and 'Stay What You Are' eras, before the mellower and more esoteric sounds of late are suddenly found including macabre bass rumblings and unusual guitar stabs. Fast-paced acoustics come to the fore-front next before the quartet launch into the classic sound of old once again at the song's climax, it's an ambitious and eclectic affair to say the least and certainly the darkest track on the album with Conley purging himself of thoughts such as 'I have no urge to carry on' and 'it seems like there's no up and I'm on my own'. It's not only an occasional nod to the past but also a perfect bridging of the previous album's despair and the more cathartic and light-searching feel of the record in hand, the defiant imagery that Conley begins to paint towards the end of the song emphasising this wonderfully.
The following ten tracks then cover Conley's search for love and understanding in order to help rid himself of his demons and cast a much more optimistic light over the life that surrounds him. 'Let It All Go' is a brilliantly stomping ode to giving up holding onto the past and reminds of older material in its joyous and defiant delivery of a such a mentally-destructive subject matter while 'E' showcases the experimentalism that the band have turned their hand to once again with a spacious merging of heavy rhythms and shimmering atmospherics. The album feels like a successful mix of both classic and modern Saves The Day and is a rewarding listen for it.
The glory days may be long since past but give this album the time it asks for and you'll find real fruits from a great band who could have ended up disbanding after their popular peak.