Month of April , 2006

Saves The Day
Sound The Alarm
2006 | Vagrant

I don’t imagine Saves The Day will ever be my favorite NJ band, but they're always going to be high on the list of bands I respect. They survive lineup changes – in fact, seem to thrive on them – better than any other group I can think of, and have consistently refused to be pigeonholed, categorized, or locked into a specific style just because it’s what their fans want to hear. Every new STD album has been a new experience, with a new sound and new direction, and you’ve got to give props for that. Rebounding from their 2003 major-label debacle In Reverie, Saves The Day V.2006 now features ex-Glassjaw bassist Manny Carrero, and the jolt of muscle and testosterone he adds to their sound is immediately apparent on Sound The Alarm’s opening tracks, “Head For The Hills” and the explosive, throbbing “The End.” Granted, frontman Clint Conley still sings like a lovesick 16-year old and probably always will, but at least hear he’s displaying some genuine angst and disgust, singing through a sneer instead of a smile. The lyrics throughout this album are extremely powerful, at times even graphic; getting screwed around by Dreamworks apparently really got the band’s dander up, if this is their reaction. So here they are back on Vagrant with a record that touches on their old hardcore roots while recapturing the melodicism (if not the actual catchiness) of their classic Through Being Cool and Stay What You Are. No telling what they’ll sound like next time, but this time around, they’ve hit the mark with a consistently excellent album that all of their fans – emo, pop, and hardcore - should welcome. – Jim Testa