A Day To Remember - Homesick

For the past 13 days, I’ve actually managed to have ideas about what it is I should blog about, but today, I’m at a loss. As a result, you’re going to get a small album review!

I feel like I should do a slight disclaimer, as I have no form of qualification or anything like that to do with music. I’m not a musician and I have no musical talent, but I do love music, and I feel like that’s enough.

Also, I had no idea what album to start with, so I just went for the first one in my CD rack which is;

A Day To Remember – Homesick.

This 2009 release had a lot to live up to, due to A Day To Remember’s 2008 release of For Those Who Have A Heart. My CD of this has disappeared into the abyss, but I remember loving this album, as it was not only my first ADTR album, but it was also what got me into their band. Unfortunately, this album slightly slaughtered my love for this band, offering a steady decline of song quality in regard to the heavier songs, as the album went on.

Track List

      1.    The Downfall of Us All
2.       My Life for Hire
3.       I’m made of wax, Larry, What are you made of?
4.       NJ Legion Iced Tea
5.       Mr. Highway’s thinking about the end
6.       Have Faith in Me
7.       Welcome to the Family
8.       Homesick
9.       Holdin’ it down for the Underground
10.   You Already Know What You Are
11.   Another Song for the Weekend
12.   If it Means A Lot to You.

The album starts with an almost mental infused riff, which quickly turns into an array of punk-style songs. From other songs I’ve heard, ADTR can usually find a great balance between punk with heavier metal-inspired tones, and yet, this style seems to be completely ignored here on it.

Although I can have this album on in the background, it’s not the kind where I get excited to listen to it, or the type that I’m even in the mood to listen to.

From song to song, the sound is the same, but the lyrics seem to get somewhat whinier. When I was going through my year 8 emo phase (which I still haven’t fully grown out of), I guess I would have enjoyed these songs, but now, they seem to be very sales-orientated, which isn’t the type of thing you want or expect from the punk genre.

With the exception of the ballads, even I can tell that each song follows the same formula. Clean singing and instruments, catchy chorus, a bit of screaming, catchy chorus repeated until the end of time. I’m not sure if I’ve now just grown out of the demographic this is targeting which if why I’m now questioning this albums quality, or I’m just having one of those days where I want to insult everything in my grasp.

I’ve been listening to the album whilst writing this review, and now I’m just going to skip a few songs until I get to the ballads (even though I’ve just realised that I’m only of song 4!). If I just had this album on in the background, it will probably be okay; however, now that I’m focusing on it, I’m getting fed up of its repetitive nature and somewhat underdeveloped lyrics.

Ballad time! It won’t be a punk-rock album without a couple of slow songs declaring an undying love or blistering betrayal. ‘Have Faith in Me’ is the first slower song of the album, and is one of those songs which I actually listen to a lot.

Although it starts off a bit too clean and emotionless for my liking, I feel like a futile attempt of heart-wrenching pain is quick to be portrayed, just not as much as I would have liked.

I feel like this is also blown out the water completely by the last song on the album, If It Means A Lot To You. Starting with an acoustic guitar and soft vocals, you can actually focus on the lyrics, which aren’t too badly written. This actually seems like a song from the heart, instead of just aiming to be a crowd pleaser, and I feel like this song alone heightens the albums quality.

Overall, I give it 1.5/5 eggs.