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A Day to Remember continues to mix what seems relatively unmixable genres on What Separates Me from You, their fourth CD release. The pop-punk’s lighthearted, happy-go-lucky themes now meet with metalcore’s aggressive moments. The Florida quintet tackles each with ease. You won’t hear any groundbreaking songwriting ideas on A Day to Remember’s latest album, but it’s certainly an interesting (and eclectic) approach to music. What Separates Me from You often leans heavier on the pop-punk side in terms of quantity, but oddly enough it’s the metalcore inclinations that are the most memorable.
The record kicks off with the best of both worlds in “Sticks and Bricks”. The death growls/clean vocals trade-off is heavily present throughout. The oft-mentioned “pop-mosh” most definitely comes through on this particular track with heavy gain used in the verses and the choruses transitioning into a more subtle, clean guitar tone. Elsewhere, A Day to Remember often opts for one style or the other, and usually that works to the band’s benefit.
For as much pop-punk that shows up on the record, it’s actually “2nd Sucks” and “You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic” – which favor straightforward metal aggression and breakdowns through and through – that are the highlights. When the band isn’t slowed down by the transition to clean vocals/clean guitar, there’s a dramatic effect that works extremely well.
The lyrical content is relatable to a younger crowd, with themes ranging from anger at an unspecified individual to sticking to one’s game plan regardless of the naysayer’s. “If I Leave” draws upon the latter topic with lines such as, “I hate this town; ‘Cause no one can understand; I just can’t be tied down; Nothing comes between me and my plan.” While the title, “You Be Tails, I’ll Be Sonic,” shows promise of being slightly ironic, it does end up following the basic love-gone-wrong format.
A Day to Remember has enough happening that it holds your interest. Songs do not always sound the same on this album- in fact far from it. Even the tracks that are pop punk veer in unique directions, such as going towards mosh/metalcore. If you are a pop punk purist who doesn’t have room for death vocals you’ll want to steer clear, but A Day to Remember does prove they are masters at the mixing the genres.
