Leeds quintet Day Old Hate have done very well for themselves within a short space of time. Their debut EP ‘Distances’, recorded and produced by Dan Lancaster, was met with critical acclaim and allowed them to set the stage for their release ‘Tides’, which saw them work alongside Dan Mizen. Since then, this group have gone from strength to strength, and latest offering ‘First Light’ is another step up for them.
Title track ‘First Light’ kicks things off with a real kick. Dynamic drum work and a thundering bass line build a solid foundation for vocalist Oliver Swift to lay down his soaring vocals. ‘Secrets’ and ‘Fifteen’ are both roaring tracks; saucy guitar licks, sparkling vocal refrains, and vibrant riffs.
Then there’s ‘Minutes, Hours, Days’, which sees the chorus add punch and flair to an already energetic track. But ‘Don’t Chase Me’ is a real corker of a track with a rather powerful message, which is demonstrated by Oliver’s fine deliverance of the lyrics, “And all these people will stay the same/I can’t sit here and wait.” The lyrics deliver a message that argues you need to sometimes take a leap of faith in order to see a change within your life
A loud and imposing EP, ‘First Light’ is confident and solid, complete with chunky riffs and huge vocals. It’ll be interesting to see where Day Old Hate go from here.
JESS TAGLIANI