Sounds The alarm just saves the day!
'Sounds The Alarm' is an angst ridden album full of anger and frustrations; let me explain: just over a couple of years ago everything seemed to be going well for New Jersey's Saves The Day. Two albums down and touring with the likes of Blink 182 and Green Day, however everything seemed to go downhill as poor album sales saw them label-less. After much soul searching and pulling up of boot straps, Saves The Day carried on touring and self-promoting themselves. After building their own studio and recording a number of demos they found themselves with the only label that they truly felt at home with - Vagrant Records.
First song on 'Sound The Alarm' is 'Head For The Hills' starting off with their familiar pogo-pouncing pop/rock it's instantly recognisable as a possible anthem and leads a little to the sound of My Chemical Romance. The quick blast of melodic-hardcore in first single, 'The End' reels you in with some expert drumming., whilst things slow down a touch with 'Shattered', allowing you to get your breath back.
'Dying Day' goes back a little to the old Saves The Day that we know in it's gentle plod along, but highly catchy tunefulness. Things speed up a little in 'Say You'll Never Leave' which blasts out with the opening line of, "Hammer nails into my eyes...". This is one of the best songs on here with it's pleading reality of heart-felt lyrics, coupled with a thumping rhythm section.
It's very hard not to think of British live champions Muse in the vocal delivery of singer-songwriter Chris Conley. 'Diseased' is a fine example of this. We have the slow and thoughtful ballad of 'Don't Know Why' which if I was to be critical, I would say that it has one too many clichés, like '...so tired that I can't sleep...'; however that said it's still a beautiful song.
'Delusional' packs an emotional punch, whilst 'Hell Is Here' finished off the album with what appears to be an epic of a song at just over three-and -a-half minutes, whereas most of the others are just over the two minute mark.
With their third album Saves The Day have matured slightly with a more powerful sound on the edge of screamo, without fully getting there, and for that I must raise my glass to them. It's good hearty stuff, though not particularly groundbreaking or indeed original, however it's entertaining and you can't ask for much more than that!