This Day And Age – Always Leave The Ground

I’ll be the first to admit that the emo trend is getting somewhat overplayed. There isn’t much originality in it anymore and sometimes it is just plain boring. But every once in a while I’ll find an emo band that is able to surprise me; full of warmth, emotion, and power. Their songs are able to move me and incite a certain passion within me be it by the soulful melodies or the soothing vocal harmonies. The last band to do this to me was none other then Straylight Run. I am now able to add one more band to that list of bands, and that is Buffalo’s This Day And Age.

Although …Always Leave The Ground starts off with a rocky start (Sometimes sounds like a song that they just chopped in half), the album is able to kick into full gear on tracks 4 and five, Second Place Victory and Slideshow (my two favorites song); and from that point they never give up. Think of Straylight Run merged with Something Corporate, and you will get This Day And Age. Soothing piano melodies with soft vocal harmonies and shimmering guitar riffs all layered over one another perfectly making for a very powerful album. They have two major song “styles”. One with an upbeat pop-punk feel to it and one with a more relaxing ballad feel to it. Alternative between the two, This Day & Age are able to make …Always Leave The Ground a bit more diverse then hearing the same song over and over again; which gives the album that much more creditability.

Now, This Day And Age may not be the most original band you’ve ever heard. The lyrics are simple and effective, but never cross any boundaries as you journey through a clean cut emo album. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a good CD. It is moving, emotional, honest, catchy, and incredibly well executed – a beautiful release. I see big things in store for this quartet.