Homesick (CD)

Ocala, FL-based post-hardcore outfit A Day to Remember's third full-length offering opens with the blistering "The Downfall of Us All," a hugely melodic slice of metal-infused punk-pop bliss that's sure to land a second life in countless montages on MTV reality shows and 30-second cola commercials. What follows is a collection of perfectly executed and fairly standard clean vocal post-hardcore emo-pop that both revels in and illuminates the limitations of the genre. While lead singer Jeremy McKinnon fulfills his duty as a clean/screamo switch-hitter throughout Homesick, the omnipresent group vocals provide the thread from which the album was designed. A Day to Remember do their best to juggle both worlds on the anthemic "Have Faith in Me," and the closing "If It Means a Lot to You" provides fans with a fine Bic lighter/cell phone light moment. [This edition includes two bonus acoustic tracks.] ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi