Daytrader-Twelve Years
Daytrader's Last Days Of Rome EP was one of the best introductions to any band last year, balancing the power and vulnerability of classic emo perfectly, it was a flawless release from a new force to be reckoned with. Twelve Years their debut proper unfortunately is an altogether uneven affair that simultaneously retains and sparkles with its predecessor's vitality and dangerously follows a road heading very much towards the middle.
Opener Deadfriends is a frustrating example of the latter as an obvious representation of the doomed 'we're not an emo band, we're a rock n'roll band' mentality, its mid-tempo stomp pretty much non-existent in the shadow of the EP's staggering title-track. Lead single Firebreather is a similar misstep with its focus on big Foo Fighters dynamics completely missing the point, the band crucially at their best when they let themselves be themselves. When they do allow this though, the record soars with giant wings fully out-stretched. Lost Between The Coasts takes their EP's blueprint and adds in extra layers of sound to a hugely powerful effect, the acoustic-led After-Image is beautifully ghostly yet still completely human, the same to be said for Heard It In A Song a few tracks later, the latter using strings and delicate vocals in a manner that will bring tears to any listener's eyes before Letter To A Former Lover closes proceedings as a bona-fide massive emo anthem.
As a result we have a frustrating divide of quality throughout the album's ten tracks, when this album hits it's incredible and essential listening but when it misses it's so middle of the road that you're left slightly confused at how it could have so suddenly turned that way especially from a band capable of such high quality, it's a shame because if this album had the consistent quality that it does in those parts where they allow themselves to be individual, it would be potential album of the year material. Daytrader need to realise this and shed contemporary influences, they're best at being themselves, in fact they're incredible at being themselves, and if they can realise and 100% put this into effect next time around they'll be winning all over.