Daylight

Sinking EP

Written by: PP on 25/01/2010 01:45:19

"Speak up, I'll listen" roars vocalist Taylor Madison in the opening moments to Daylight's debut EP "Sinking" with his warm and emotionally charged vocal delivery that immediately draws a comparison to the nostalgia-filled "gravel punk" of Hot Water Music and a number of other similar bands. North Lincoln, Steady State, and Small Brown Bike all cycle through the listener's head as "Enough" rolls forward, along with the feeling that this is just way too good to be a debut EP. Sure enough, it pays tribute to the aforementioned bands note-by-note, but the resulting layered wall of guitars and the heartfelt vocal croon of Madison easily lifts the band past other copycat contemporaries to the extent that you couldn't care less if there are a dozen other bands playing the same style, you just want to hear more.

And more medium paced, raspy punk rock is precisely what you get with "The Best" picking up where "Enough" left off. Not all songs are in a hurry though. "Seeing & Hearing" and especially "You're Not My Father" have an instrumental base directly at the heart of Bear Vs Shark's debut album - the experimental indie-tinged post-hardcore one - which is awesome, but also saddening because I used to love that band to bits and they're no longer around. Nonetheless, here too Madison's hoarse style is the key to why the song and the EP in general just works. Rumbling bass guitars and raw, unpolished distortion are combined with a sincere, emotive vocal delivery to create that same sense of urgency that made Hot Water Music the legendary band they are today. It's fiery and explosive when it needs to be, and soft and sensitive in other places to provide the perfect contrast.

Is it possible for Daylight to reach that kind of status one day? I don't wanna make any predictions, but if they can write more songs like "Enough" and "You're Not My Father", I don't see why not. Passionate, honest punk rock full of urgency is always needed as a counterbalance to the more gimmick-y stuff in the more mainstream realms, just to remind the listener, the bands, and the music scene that the best music is always of the kind that's bursting to break out of the minds and hearts of the young, leaving no choice for its composer but to pick up an instrument and channel that feeling into songs. These guys have the potential to become huge.

Download: Enough
For the fans of: Hot Water Music, Bear Vs Shark, Small Brown Bike, North Lincoln
Listen: Myspace

Release date 15.12.2009
Get This Right Records

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