Review Summary: An improvement on all levels over a fantastic debut.
Despite being such a great record, Dayseeker’s sophomore outing
Origin explodes on a bit of a sour note. It’s not so much an issue with the music, which is still quite good if a bit by the numbers for the post-hardcore outfit, but venomously bitter lines like “You should be ashamed of the trash you let between your legs” doesn’t make for the best or most mature first impression. The band wastes no time in setting thing to rights on the very next track luckily. The moody “A Cancer Uncontained” involves everything Dayseeker does well. Rory Rodriguez, the indisputable star of the album, is at his absolute best with his soaring, powerful clean vocals taking the lead and passionate lyrics to give them a better backing. The music is measured and paced carefully, with softer tones contrasting nicely with the more aggressive, metallic riffs. In many ways it’s the track that should’ve opened the record. Despite the early stumble,
Origin is one of the more impressive albums to come out of modern post-hardcore (bordering closely on metalcore) thanks to an adequate balancing of the genre’s tropes with an outstanding control of melody, atmosphere, and understated intricacy.
Dayseeker’s debut
What It Means To Be Defeated was impressive enough, but
Origin quite literally takes every single aspect to the next level. The album is catchier, it feels
bigger, and the band’s weak spots are mostly ironed out. Chiefly, Rodriguez’s harsh vocals (think Beartooth’s Caleb Shomo) fit more snugly in the mix than they did on the previous album while the heavier moments they appeared on are better placed and more creatively done. Yes, Dayseeker uses breakdowns without fear, but they don’t abuse them. For the most part they are used well and at the right moments, but it’s clear that it isn’t the area Dayseeker truly excels. Instead, it’s the melodies and the hooks, the energy and aura of passion the band manages to inject into every track. While the vocal performance may be massive and attention grabbing, it would be a shame to ignore the band’s surprising ability to build around him in the best ways, adapting and moving with grace that you just don’t see in the genre very often. A couple of breakdowns may be a bit heavy handed, but then a moment like the post-rock influenced tremolo lead on “Dead to the World: Alive In My Eyes” comes along. And that’s not to mention their powerful grasp on atmosphere and their skill at balancing short but sweet tracks with expansive songs like closer “Never See The Sun Rise”. It may seem like there’s an overload of good qualities to mention (perhaps a bit “too good to be true”) but it simply speaks to the sheer quality this young band has brought out with
Origin.
For being the band’s second release, it’s really remarkable how little they manage to do wrong. The opening track is a bit of a stumble, but even then it’s a pretty pleasant one. Dayseeker know their strengths well, building them up immensely, and they know their weaknesses, likewise refining those soft spots.
Origin is certainly an underrated gem in modern post-hardcore that absolutely shouldn’t be missed.
