Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
I have just recently discovered A Day to Remember, and I have to say, I was really surprised to find myself digging their style. I know that the pop/punk/metal genre is pretty popular with many as other bands such as Chunk!No Captain Chunk! and even certain Beartooth songs have used this genre before. I've never really been a huge fan of this style, but I found myself really liking the compelling and creative ways ADTR uses it. ADTR is one of the bands that made this interesting genre mixture popular, especially with their very successful album "Homecoming". Ever since this band has been a huge staple in their genre and has continued to grow their fan base. I personally think they reached a high point with "Common Courtesy", a very dynamic album with some interesting lyrical content and a lot of different styles, even incorporating some hard rock elements. It took risks, and the payoff was amazing. Now with their newest album, "Bad Vibrations", the band has gone independent under their own record label. This makes for an amazing album that combines the harder textures of their older albums while keeping the maturity and lyrical complexity of their newer releases. ADTR uses their newfound freedom to their advantage, experimenting a lot on this album. It's not a perfect release by any means, but it is definitely a LOT of fun.
The album begins excellently with the title track. This song is easily one of the most hard hitting tracks this band has ever done, with lead vocalist Jeremy McKinnon's vocals sounding incredibly angry and aggressive. You can really feel the tension throughout this whole track, as the impressive and prominent guitar and drum work add to the mood of this song. The lyrics are interesting as Jeremy discusses an individual who is an unavoidable poison in his life: "I can feel your bad vibrations/All around me/All consuming/Corrupting all that I am". The breakdown on this song is an absolute delight. "Paranoia", while not as musically or lyrically compelling as the preceding track is still a lot of fun. This song is straight up punk rock, and the repeating guitar riff in the song works in its favor. The song is about exactly what the title implies, and the musical textures of this song really emphasize this feeling that Jeremy is expressing of not being able to trust anyone. It never slows down; the ante of the song is continually upped until the amazing breakdown happens, and it is once again the highlight of the song.
This album goes on an amazing winning streak starting with the song "Exposed". Easily the hardest track on the album, this song has an incredible opening with a powerful guitar riff that will have you banging your head in no time. The first time I heard this riff I smiled because of how fun it was. The lyrics are also some of the best on this album, having a angry and politically charged message that works: "Inroads to the hangman's noose /We got a lot to lose/Is this where you wanna be?/Exhumed they're not through with you until you're left exposed/Is this who you wanna be?" There's a lot to interpret from these lyrics, but it seems to me that Jeremy is saying here that if we only rely on political/celebrity figures to solve everything for us, then we will all be left exposed. The aggressive message is justified with the unrelenting brutality of this song, coming to a climax with an explosive breakdown. I was left breathless by the end of this track; it's an undeniable highlight. "Bullfight" is easily my favorite song on the album. This is most experimental I've ever heard ADTR go, as the song is almost purely hard rock, with no indication of the pop/punk style they are known for. Musically this song is just superb, as it dynamically shifts from its quiet beginning to a hard hitting chorus. The most fun shift, though, is when the song unexpectedly transitions into a breakdown/guitar riff that is just incredible. On another song, this could've been awkward, but in the context of this song, it works very effectively. The lyrics of this song are interesting as they talk about how people don't want to truly get to know each other's struggles: "Everybody's head's hung low/They don't ask, they don't wanna know us... I get so misunderstood". I think everybody can find at least one part of this song that they can like. This might honestly be one of the best songs of the year.
The winning streak of "Bad Vibrations" continues with "Reassamble", the last harder song. While this one doesn't quite pack the punch that the title track or "Exposed" do, it still is unabashed fun, and I found myself singing along to the chorus pretty quickly. Another highlight appears in the song "Justified", which feels like it could comfortably fit on "Common Courtesy" more than any other song on this album. The lyrics "Burn me alive/If you feel that's justified/But I need more than faith/To see you on the other side" are compelling in their usage of spiritual metaphor to accentuate a relationship that is in rough waters. The song is pop/punk through and through, and ADTR nails the style solidly here, making the song that much more enjoyable. While not one of my big favorites, "We Got This" is a positive track that I can see effectively working in a live setting. But where this album really shines in its latter, more pop/punk leaning half is in the song "Turn Off the Radio". I really have to commend Jeremy's vocals here as he uses his higher vocal register, and it sounds glorious. The chorus here is easily the catchiest on the whole album, and it is made even more memorable in its usage of the radio as a metaphor for the media: "Turn off the radio/Till they have something real to say/I need an answer, I've got the questions/Can't anyone out there just relate?". Addressing the media's lack of ability to address anything of importance is a hard topic to address, but it works in this song.
There are a few negative points to address from this album. "Naivety" is very generic pop/punk and probably the weakest song on the album. The song has Jeremy talking about wishing he was younger, which feels like a pretty cliched topic for a pop/punk band to do. The song also has very little musical variation, with both choruses sounding the same, the breakdown feeling standard and unneeded, and the chorus is more annoying than catchy. "Same About You", while having some good musical moments, is still just a standard breakup song with nothing new to say ("No I'll never/Feel the same/The same about you"). The chorus is repeated one too many times, as is the title of the song in said chorus. The song does have a few good moments with the great guitar work, but it doesn't entirely save the song. "Negative Space" is another hard rock song, but it doesn't work quite as well as "Bullfight", having a standard structure as well as addressing the idea of everyone letting you down in an uninteresting way. Jeremy's vocals aren't bad but they feel oddly disconnected here as well. I'm sure a lot of people from Florida will dig "In Florida", but this song just didn't do it for me, as I couldn't connect with it. "Forgive and Forget" is honestly just forgettable, a throwaway final track that felt rushed compared to other songs on here.
Overall, "Bad Vibrations" is a great album that really blew my expectations away. While this album isn't as good as "Common Courtesy", it still is a fun release to listen to, as it was cool to see ADTR able to do whatever they wanted, making some cool experimental choices in their style, especially on the first half of this album. There's something for fans of their harder style and for fans who like their softer pop/punk style. ADTR ultimately uses their talents in metal and pop/punk to the best of their abilities to make an album that can warrant many repeat listens. While it's not perfect by any means, this album is still a fun summer/fall release that is sure to be liked by old fans and attract some new ones as well!
Favorite Songs: "Bullfight", "Turn Off the Radio", "Exposed", "Justified", "Bad Vibrations", "Reassemble"
Least Favorite Songs: "Naivety", "Forgive and Forget", "Same About You", "Negative Space"
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