‘Mystery’ obviously awesome
Local band debuts with superb, mature album
Days No Different
The debut album from local band Days No Different serves a rare blend of both maturity and edginess. With a unique sound all its own, “Surrender the Mystery” is like an alt-rock Neapolitan ice cream. It has a little something for everyone.
Deep lyrics, heartfelt vocals and a mild guitar style give this record a feeling of marketable sincerity. The throaty voice of lead singer John Gray roughens up each track he is on, while co-lead singer and lead guitarist Dan Johnson provides a bit of a smoother voice to the album.
“Surrender the Mystery” kick starts with “Lock Down,” which begins with a barrage of drumming, leading into a riff reminiscent of mid-‘90s Stone Temple Pilots. The second track on the album, “Vulnerable,” has a much different feel. Drawn-out notes and a repetitive twang in the main riff of the track coat this album in a southern-rock ambience. The song really hits its peak at the chorus, where the guitars break down to a basic scale and Gray speeds up the vocal tempo.
After these two heavier tracks, the softer side of Days No Different exposes itself on “Some Days.” With nothing but an acoustic guitar to accompany the somewhat sullen vocals at the beginning of this track, the build up of this song resembles Matchbox Twenty in their prime. This is easily one of the best songs on the album.
The next track, “Take Me,” starts off slow with echoing notes almost floating in throughout the song. As in many of their other songs, this track picks up at the chorus with catchy repetition. “Snowflake in the Summer” is another slow track, featuring a piano. While this song is enjoyable, the continuous slow songs take away from most of the lyrical content of this song. But one cannot help but listen closer when violins begin to break into the chorus. The Snowflake String Quartet plays a beautiful arrangement by rhythm guitarist and pianist Jeff DePaoli.
“Could Be” speeds the album back up with an impressive performance from drummer Brian James. With raw guitars and complex drum patterns, this track is a very modern rock song, showing the band has much versatility. “Credits at a Standstill” is deceiving at first, resembling another slow track. Once the chorus hits, however, the song turns heavy with a vocal performance resembling Brandon Boyd of Incubus. The song then jumps into a slow tempo for the next verse, blending relaxing lyrics with heavily distorted power chords to finish.
“Eightthroughfive” is fast, strong and sporadic at times. The awkward changes in pitch seem odd when put against the background of repetitive notes. Of all the songs on the album, this one is least favorable.
The last song on the album, “Attention,” begins with a power chord so forceful, one might think Dethklok made a special guest appearance. But as soon as the song picks up, it becomes obvious that the track is almost the complete opposite. A reggae-like beat lingers over a very catchy guitar riff. Once the chorus hits, you will know the ditty that is going to be stuck in your head for the next week.
The only problem with this album is the lack of longevity. Almost all the tracks are good, leaving the listener begging for more. At nine songs, “Surrender the Mystery” just isn’t fulfilling. Other than that, this album proves that Reno has talent. Though this is the debut album for this local band, Days No Different really knows how to rock like weathered veterans of the industry.
Days No Different
Surrender the mystery
Genre: Rock, alternative
Grade: A-
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on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 at 1:02 am and is filed under Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment, Vibe.
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