Album Review: A Day To Remember - 'Homesick'

In the super competitive world of selling records, many labels will resort to almost anything to shift a few extra units of their latest and greatest release, hell, some will even go as far as labeling one of these albums with outrageous tags such as “the most anticipated album of 2009” and “the heaviest pop record you’ll ever hear”. Lucky then that Homesick – the latest effort from recent Australian tourists A Day To Remember – delivers on all fronts, with the group’s heavily polished blend of pop hooks and pit friendly breakdowns joining forces to create one of the most enjoyable soundtracks of 2009.

First up, whoever came up with the idea of an acapella version of a chugging guitar riff is a fucking genius; the rest of the song (that would be second single “The Downfall Of Us All”) isn’t half bad either. In fact, it’s one of the best tunes ADTR have penned to date! “My Life For Hire” is a shining example of what happens when catchy melodies are given a thick bottom end, while Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada lends his pipes to the impressive “I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?”.

The infectious chorus of “NJ Legion Ice Tea” makes it an obvious single choice… no doubt A Day To Remember’s army of fans already have the lyrics stored in their collective memory bank’s in anticipation for the next show, although “Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End” shows that the Ocala based five-piece still have the inclination to turn down the pop and turn up the mosh every so often. “Have Faith In Me” shows traces of the recently reformed Blink 182, as does the album’s anthemic title track. Although the second half of the record isn’t as solid as its predecessor there are still flashes of brilliance, in particular, my personal favourite “Holdin’ It Down For The Underground”, a song that manages to fuse all of the trademark ADTR elements into one tight package. Finally, a modern pop-punk record isn’t complete without a female assisted ballad, and “It Means A Lot To You” is just that. Sounding like Paramore with gang vocals, the album closer does a great job of rounding out what is an early contender of album of the year.

I’m sure it’s easy to dislike A Day To Remember, as they’ve taken the most prominent parts of two of the most easy-to-hate genres and slapped them together, but the haters. With so many records that focus on the doom and gloom aspects of the world around us it’s refreshing to hear a group that just wants to have fun. 

1. The Downfall Of Us All
2. My Life For Hire
3. I’m Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?
4. NJ Legion Ice Tea
5. Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End
6. Have Faith In Me
7. Welcome To The Family
8. Homesick
9. Holdin’ It Down For The Underground
10. You Already Know What You Are
11. Another Song About The Weekend
12. If It Means A Lot To You