Send "Saves the Day " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 After several lineup changes and pushed back released dates, Saves the Day have finally released their seventh studio album, Daybreak. According to lead singer and principal songwriter Chris Conley, the disc is the third part of a trilogy along with 2006’s Sound The Alarm and ‘07’s Under the Boards. The first two legs were about discontent, reflection and remorse, respectively. Daybreak finishes off the Jersey emo rockers ambitious project with 11 songs about acceptance. Choosing the name “Daybreak” for an album about acceptance may not be the most subtle of choices, but subtlety isn’t really the forte of emo musicians. Neither is acceptance for that matter; which is perhaps why the album comes across as unsatisfying. STD doesn’t need to pander to die-hard fans and rock the same adolescent angst for the rest of their career, but if they want to do something different, they haven’t quite perfected it yet. Conley and company open the album with the eponymous track “Daylight”, an 11-minute journey with five movements—overreaching and pretentious, perhaps, but also the most effective offering on the album. The song begins with Conley’s heart, having sought drunken refuge in Spain, incredulously repeating “Somehow you love me” over a reverb line and acoustic guitar. Soon, caustic power chords cut in, and we are off to the races with the second movement. It’s as close to vintage Saves the Day as there is on the album as it features Conley’s wonderfully nasally vocals, whiney emo-tastic lyrics, and loud, distorted guitars. After some detours through relaxed grooves and acoustic funk, the track ends with the eponymous closing movement. At the conclusion of the emotional roller coaster, Conley concludes the song with “So take me in your arms knowing I’m the one.”...full text |
| Absolutepunk |
| It's hard to believe sometimes that Saves The Day is still an active band right now. A lesser band would have broken up after (take your pick) 1) the lukewarm reactions to their major label debut (2003's In Reverie), 2) label turmoil, or 3) the revolving door of band members. Saves The Day has overcome all of that, mainly because Chris Conley has been the one constant. And after waiting four years to hear the uplifting conclusion to Conley's past demons (which were laid bare on Sound The Alarm and Under The Boards), the band's seventh studio album (their fourth debut on a different label), Daybreak, has finally seen the light of day. After delving into the darkest and bleakest parts of Conley's psyche on the last two albums, Daybreak is a much needed dose of hope. Of course Conley is still struggling with some of the topics from the past, but the almost eleven minute epic opening number takes on and addresses most of these issues. The title track serves as a five part mini-EP of sorts, bouncing from genre to genre (the synth driven section at 6:30 is a personal favorite). While Conley's vocals sound as youthful as ever, it's Arun Bali's guitar work that really sets the pace on Daybreak. Bali's work is the driving force behind Daybreak's diversity. Check out the smooth groove on “Chameleon” or the garage-band feel of “1984” (bassist Rodrigo Palma works nicely as the yin to Bali's yang). Despite being the “optimistic” record, Conley still does plenty of fighting back here. You'll be reminded of Saves The Day's heavier moments during the last minute of “E,” while “Z” is littered with angst and crunchy power chords courtesy of Bali. Conley also still has an ear for catchy hooks, as “Living Without Love” and “Deranged & Desperate” are two of Daybreak's more upbeat offerings. At the end of the day, however, Conley has realized that all he wants is love. The gentle “O” serves as catharsis, while the aforementioned “1984” has Conley shouting, "Yeah yeah yeah. I need you, I need your love." But nothing compares to the eerie closer “Undress Me.” Easily one of the best Saves The Day songs in years, the soaring atmosphere sets the scene for Conley as he finds himself chasing love (or the ghost of a previous one). Long time fans will hear bits and pieces of previous Saves The Day albums throughout Daybreak, as Conley and company have stayed true to the band's past while also creating something fresh. The final chapter of the trilogy features a lot of soul-searching, a lot of variety, and a lot of maturity – ending for once on a positive note. It may not supplant Through Being Cool or Stay What You Are as your favorite Saves The Day album, but you can safely place it in the upper echelon of their discography....full text |
| Stereokiller |
| Saves The Day is the type of band that at the mere mention of their name, you get a strong reaction from people. Whether that reaction be positive or negative... its always usually at either extreme of the emotional spectrum. Me personally, I almost look at Saves The Day as a band with multiple chapters or eras in their existence. Each part of their story is shaped by life and experience... with the heart of it all firmly pinned to their sleeves. Take us as human beings, for example. As children, we see the world through much more simplistic eyes. We see what we want to see and its usually much more colorful and carefree ("Can't Slow Down" and "Through Being Cool"). Then we become teenagers and life gets more complicated and diverse. We start to see the world for what it really is and attempt to broaden our horizons ("Stay What You Are" and to a degree "In Reverie"). As young adults, our knowledge base is much more concrete... or so we think. We've experienced more and now have bodies covered in scars... and in some cases, hearts that are made entirely of scar tissue. We've become cynical and jaded... but there is still that small glimmer of hope that there is more in this life for us and strive to find it. ("Sound the Alarm", "Under the Boards" and now, "Daybreak"). Since their inception in the mid to late 90's, singer/guitarist Chris Conley has been the primary driving force behind this band and in a poetic sense, the anchor. There have been numerous cast changes in the players around him, but the overall feel of the music has remained unchanged because of his influence. I mean that in the sense that every record is still obviously Saves The Day... all while continuing a trend of evolution and maturity. I really feel that this band is unfairly looked upon by some people as having changed too much over the years. If you compare "Can't Slow Down" to this new record... they sound like two completely different bands in most regards. If you follow the progression from one record to the next, leading you all the way up to "Daybreak"... you should notice that it was a true natural progression. I personally find it very refreshing for a band to be able to do this with such grace. The only other band that comes to mind as having had this same success is Cave In (who went from metalcore, to progressive rock, to indie rock, to noise rock... and was still obviously Cave In). "Daybreak" is not a perfect record... but it is the best material this band has released in years. If you haven't been following this band in the past 5 or so years, you probably don't know what they sound like any more. They have remained a strong song writing force over the years. In this current era, you will find them to be much more indie rock and even pop aligned. Most songs are comprised of chiming chords and a consistent sugary vocal harmony... but to me, the real standout musically is the rhythm section. The drum work and bass playing is stellar. There are incredible grooves that make the backbone of this release as rock solid as any other rock record out right now and its very refreshing to hear. Rhythm seems to be a dead art in our generation. Lyrically, it seems that Chris is someone who has finally surfaced from beneath some very dark times and these songs are evidence of his seemingly renewed sense of hope. Being someone who has casually followed this bands career over the course of the last 10 years... this record has renewed my excitement for them and I hope it does the same for you....full text |
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