Nostalgic longing and brutal breakdowns

A Day To Remember

Homesick

Victory Records

Feb. 3, 2009

B+

???A Day To Remember returns to the chunked and gauged scene with their new release Homesick. And this time around, they've got more to sing about then just girls, backstabbing friends, and girls.

???A Day To Remember has always walked the line between hardcore and pop-punk, mixing brutal breakdowns with catchy lyrics. Homesick doesn't stray far from the norm. Some songs feature hardcore instrumentals, whereas others focus on lyrics that will run through your head all day.

???Kicking off the album is "The Downfall Of Us All," a heartfelt track in which ADTR talks about getting a record contract, packing up and leaving their hometown to go on tour. There really is no better way to start off an album entitled Homesick than with a song about missing where you came from.

???"I sold my soul to the open road/ You'll find me in the same spot, believe me/ I could never stop, my life's turned upside down," sings vocalist Jeremy Mckinnon.

???"I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" is vintage ADTR-a perfect blend of hardcore and pop-punk styling, sure to make one headbang like a mad man and scream back the lyrics in both the most public and private of places.

???The track "Mr. Highway's Thinking About The End" will appease the band's more hardcore oriented fans with a breakdown that will leave followers salivating and ready to spin kick. It's easily the heaviest track on the album and would not have been out of place on their second release, For Those Who Have Heart.

???The album's title track defines the band's work and intentions. With a chorus addressed to their parents and lyrics about their ever-changing surroundings, this song is pure nostalgia.

???"Hey mom, I wrote you some soft songs/ And tell dad I'm just fine/ We have to choose, we made our moves/ Now we gotta go, go," Mckinnon sings.

???Homesick closes with a slow acoustic number reminiscent of "You Had Me At Hello" from their first album, And Their Name Was Treason. Featuring a guest appearance by Sierra Kusterbeck of Versaemerge, "If It Means A Lot To You" is not a typical A Day To Remember song, and that is what makes it work.

???With even catchier choruses and more of the huge breakdowns that they've become synonymous with, A Day to Remember has released an album that will not only please their core fans, but hopefully break them into the mainstream.

???Now get low!