Dealing With Damage – Use The Daylight

Dealing With Damage from that village called London somewhere in England, have come up with a second album only 2 years after their first, ‘Ask More Questions’ hit the planet, and sadly the same time that the virus that shall not be named hit, so given that live music never happen for some time back then, and time on their hands, ‘Use the Daylight’ was born, and like a grenade thrown into a room full of paint tins, this album explodes with so much more colour than its predecessor.  I felt that their debut, although great, was just lacking something that you couldn’t quite grasp, this album has taken the melting pot and stirred it up a little.

Take the opener ‘Sunrise’ a strange countryfied ballad that is filled with foreboding and atmosphere, it says this band isn’t afraid to write and record what matters to them, and lyrically sets us up for a new day in the bands life.

This is powerfully followed up by ‘Walking Backwards Into The Future’ which hits the nail on the head on how this album fits with the bands future, you need to look back to know how to move forward, a gritty guitar led vocal onslaught on self loathing or is that self motivation, both are relevant here.

A self proclaimed pop song drops in briefly too, ‘Bigots Vs Mad Professors’ is a brilliant moment of letting yourself go and actually making a tune that ear worms its way in and leaves without so much as a sorry.  This isn’t just a throw away moment in the album though, it feels like throughout, this is something that has crept in via the backdoor and not only wiped it feet, but actual decided to stay for a while.  Songs like ‘Keep Moving’, ‘Letter From Yootha’ and ‘Liberez Wayne Kramer’ are here for a reason, a very wonky pop way, a flipping the idea of an album that just repeats from start finish on its head and giving you the listener an actual experience worth living in.

I honestly wasn’t sure I would enjoy this album as much as I did, yes I liked the previous EP’s album, but not to the point of repeat listening.  This has taken DWD to that whole new punk level, a band that has so much to say, but can also enjoy doing it.  ‘First They Ignore You’ and ‘Write it Down’ show off the meaner pure punk side of the band though, not in an angry hardcore way, but most definitely in a lyrically and heart felt vocal way, songs that take on social hardships, mental health, growing up in a world that seems not to care and how speaking up matters.

An album for those who need to hear music move forward, and album in the Punk 2023 style, angst can be fun you know!, a polished stone in the rough (diamond was maybe a little too expensive).

Go buy it and find out for yourself, and yes blame me for making you. 

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