Daytrader - Twelve Years Review

What if I told you there was a new band who made the same type of exciting music as Saves The Day in their early years. Or as Jimmy Eat World around the time of Bleed American. A band that takes some Sunny Day Real Estate and Weezer and mixes it up with a bit of Taking Back Sunday. I don’t know about you but if someone told me about a band like that I would be anxious to hear their stuff.

It wasn’t untlll I started to listen to Twelve Years that it sunk in that I really missed a good new band to pick up where the aforementioned bands went astray. Daytrader has soul and emotion, the energy pours over these songs. Just take a moment to listen to ‘Firebreather’:...full text Daytrader's debut EP, Last Days of Rome, was a great start for the band, but for as good as it was, it was quite a disjointed listen. Something about it never quite came together to form something that was cohesively their own, even though it hinted that they were more than capable to pull it off. Well, Twelve Years, the first full length from the Long Island, NY based pop-punk act featuring former Crime in Stereo bassist Gary Cioni, finally sees Daytrader consolidating all of their best moments from their EP into something a little more solid and refined. There are no longer the stylistic gaps from song to song that, while entertaining in their own right, made Last Days of Rome feel like a demo in approach rather than unified collection of songs. There's still the understated angst and simmer right beneath the surface and the dual vocal assault that makes it all burst like fireworks when it hits full steam, but the highs don't come quite as often as needed to make it fully engaging throughout. Even when considering its lulls in between the highs, Twelve Years is a big step in the right direction for Daytrader. Given their pedigree and their position in the punk retooling of Rise Records a lot is expected from the band from the get go, but if they continue making diligent strides in the right direction, no matter how small, Daytrader's stock can only continue to climb. Twelve Years might not put Daytrader on quite the same level as recent releases by labelmates Hot Water Music, Cheap Girls, and Sharks but they're well on their way....full text When I first heard that Daytrader had been signed to Rise Records, I was a little anxious to hear their debut album due to Rise's reputation. The previous EP "Last Days of Rome" is something that I listened to quite a bit and really didn't want the sound to change. However, these doubts were cast aside in the first 15 seconds of Daytrader's new album "Twelve Days", set to release on May 8. Bringing a unique sound from Brooklyn, New York, Daytrader has set a pretty high standard for themselves.

One of my favorite things about the last EP were the vocals that had a style of which I had never heard. I was especially pleased to hear that they had been brought back and delivered just as well as they had in the EP. A great showcase of said vocals occurs in the song "After-Image" towards the end. What really gets me is how the singing is always changing and never sounds the same, yet he still keeps the same style.

The guitar players of this band get their moments in "Twelve Years" as well. In the song "Silver Graves", there is a nice lead guitar in the background that perfectly compliments the singing. Most of the riffing is pretty bland but still goes along well with the rest of the other instruments. The drumming on the other hand is clearly heard and upfront. The drummer holds a perfect beat and is very good at what he does. Usually I'm not one to pay close attention to what's going on with the drumming but it holds my attention here....full text