Once upon a time there were a group of musicians who wanted to try something a little different to the norm. By combining a number of aspects of punk rock they managed to create something that was fresh and challenging. Alas, the time in which they lived was not ready for a blend of melody, aggression and vocals that veered from soft to full on screaming. However, their teachings were not lost and recently more bands have picked up where they left off, gaining more and more popularity and frequenting restaurants where you may order from your car. That’s right kids: this is the story of the hilariously and originally monikerd “Nu-emoâ€, and here’s another band ready to follow the blueprint.
5 Days Ahead are a five-piece outfit who hail from Pennsylvania. They have a sound not too dissimilar to most of the emocore bands that are already out there, but they also have a hint of Midtown about them. ‘As life passes you by’ is the name of their latest release and it contains thirteen tracks that cover just about every cliché in the genre. Ninety per cent of the songs are about that most original of subjects; namely girls and breaking up. These guys must have had their hearts broken a lot. They also manage to use the trick of soft lead vocals combined with screaming background vocals. However, most of the time, the more aggressive vocals don’t fit too well with the tone of the songs.
So, you’re thinking that this albums not too great then. Well, actually, despite my many criticisms you can’t deny the quality of some of the songs on offer. This may be highly unoriginal, but 5 Days Ahead can certainly write a good song or two. The likes of ‘Another Wasted Year’ and ‘Goodnight News Brunswick‘ will instantly be welcomed into the fold by fans of the genre. It is on the superb ‘Valentine’, though, that the band hint they have the potential to stand out from the crowd.
So, ‘as life passes you buy’ is unoriginal and full of other people’s ideas. Of that there can be no denying. However, 5 Days Ahead have produced a solid album that has a number of decent tracks. I can recommend this to fans of the genre, but warn others that a whole host of bands have done this type of album to a much higher standard.
Mark