The Daylights The Daylights

A great marriage of music. As expected, lots of great melodies and hooks from the boys. Vocals have really evolved. Guitars are on another level. Drums are a sonic daydream. It's like Tom Petty had a love child with 1987 U2 and raised it on really good European rock--and paid for classical training somewhere along the way with a strict, bun-haired, respectable teacher who instills music theory with nightmares. Brauer really punched some of the tracks in the teeth, like "The Last Time" and "Rogue." Youth really brought out a lot of the band's gifts--the elevation of complete song as story and melodic development. Great job guys!

This album is their best work yet. The songs are so good and produced in a way that effectively communicates the songs in a way they've needed to be heard. I am convinced that this is one of the greatest bands from LA we will see in this new decade.

It’s evident from the first moment of any song that The Daylights are the real deal, whether because of the thick, unwavering rock music or because of the soft, tranquil sounds. An album of valleys and hills, these 15 songs create a rollercoaster of a ride that, if nothing else, is worth the price of admission just for the experience.

The band comparisons for The Daylights can run as wide as Muse to Coldplay, U2 to Paper Route. When “Black Dove” kicks into full gear around the halfway mark with static for the sake of noise and ringing guitars, Muse comes to the forefront as possible influences on the band’s style. “Terra Firma” on the other hand creates such a soaring experience that you can’t help but think of early U2. All of these comparisons make even more sense when you find out that the album was produced by Youth, who worked with The Verve and Paul McCartney, and was mixed by people who worked with everyone from U2 and The Rolling Stones to The Cure.

In the midst of all the legitimate rock ‘n roll music is “Boy On The Moon” which focuses on the keys and vocals for an atmospheric groove. “Quick Fix” whittles the band away to an acoustic guitar, that even by itself, sound larger than life. The few softer moments on the album provide for an escape, while they don’t ever cause a loss of momentum in getting through the 15 tracks.

Occasionally cliché, including the labeled “Interlude” and “Outro”, don’t affect the fact that The Daylights have created a record that’s a near perfect rock ‘n roll experience.