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. ~ James Christopher Monger