This is Saves the Days latest album out. It's basically a compilation of songs that were early recordings, b-sides, or songs that basically were good but were not put on their earlier cd's. (Does that make sense?) Me being the Saves the Day fan that I am (and too impatient to wait for Chips88 to do a review, I'm not too sure if he finished it or not because the search bar and other links were not working, had to pick it up myself and do it. Sorry Chips).
Pamphlet: The pamphlet inside had many pictures in it. Most which can be viewed on the Saves the Day site if you keep refreshing it. It also contained notes about each song. When it was written, why it was written, etc, etc. Cool tid bits of information about the band.
There were 19 songs on this album. A few of these songs were on earlier albums such as "Hold", "Jessie and My Whetstone", "Take Our Cars Now!", etc.
Saves the Day, from Princeton, New Jersey have been playing for over 10 years. They originally started playing together from around the eigth grade.
1.
Ups and Downs - One of their slower more "emotional" songs. It's one of my personal favorites. It was one of the unfinished songs that couldn't make the deadline to be on the "Stay What You Are" album. Chris states: that he wrote the song on a 4 string guitar on a balconey outside, while everyone was eating Cheatos. To me it's like the song that shows how far Saves the Day has come along as a band.
4/5
2.
Sell My Old Clothes, I'm off to Heaven - One of their more upbeat songs after they began finishing developing their sound. Nice lyrical hooks, and pretty good guitar work. Chris states: that he remembers writing the lyrics at a hall show in Connecticut, or some New England State, on the H20 tour when he was trying to kill time.
4/5
3.
A Drag in D Flat - It starts off with a bass riff. Typical Saves the Day song. Amazing lyrics, and Chris's ability to phrase lyrics in such a catchy way in paragraph form constitutes some level of lyrical genius on his part. Vocals are on the better side of this album. Guitar work is pretty tight. Chris states: He wrote this song on a train ride back from New York to New Jersey.
4/5
4.
I'm Sorry I'm Leaving - One of their more mellow acoustics. Lyrics meet the Saves the Day standards that Chris sets up. He's a bit whiny in this song. Guitar work is swell. Again, Chris's ability to make vocal melodies so catchy is amazing. Chris states: This was our first acoustic release which they recorded on his makeshift studio in his mother's basement.
3/5
5.
Hold - One of my personally favorite acoustic songs on this album. It's a supposed "corny" love song, but the way Chris portrays his feelings through his lyrics is superb, and makes it unique from other love ballads. Guitar work is decent. Chris states: The song was just thrown together and I used to jokingly sing it to my friends, trying to make them laugh at my hokey made up love song. Bryan (Our old drummer) wanted to put it on the acoustic 7 inch, so I said, "what the hey" and that's how it got from me to you.
4/5
6.
Jessie and My Whetstone - This is also another one of my favorite acoustic songs from this album. The intro entertwines with the vocals perfectly, forming an amazingly catchy introduction. Some of Chris's best. Chris states: Lyrics of this song were inspired by Joni Mitchell's album "blue."
4/5
7.
Take Our Cars Now! - Supposedly one of their rare acoustic releases. The intro is a bit boring. The guitar work is decent. Chris states: This is one of the only songs in our catalogue with lyrics that aren't entirely made up. The song popped out after a New England road trip with some of my friends."
3/5
8.
The Way His Collar Falls - Another acoustic song! The guitar work here isn't much to write home about. Chris's vocal work is decent. An alright guitar interlude. That sums it up. Chris states: My good friend Leif was in school way up North, and he was having a rough go of it in his early months at college, so I wrote a song for him.
3/5
9.
The Art of Misplacing Firearms - An eerie guitar intro. I swear, the first time I heard this track, I thought it was Thursday. Drumming isn't that great. It has that repetitive bass snare syncopation. Same with the guitar work. A slow song, for the most part, then gets a fast punk like feel. Chris states: this was the last song to feature aggressive hardcore sensibility. I used to receive nasty phone calls in the middle of the night from Brazil, saying "you are the worst singer ever and your band sucks and you're ugly!" No lie.
2/5
10.
East Cost - Another one of their old songs. Same old "hardcore/punk" type feel to it. Drums does a snare bass type of syncopation and the guitar's belching powerchords. A really short song. Chris states: The first song from the ancient Saves the Day demo and it is the very first Saves the Day song in history.
2/5 (for trying guys)
11.
1:19 - Another one of their old ancient type, up down beat drum syncopated, power chord thrashing songs. Vocals just sound like strained and whiny. Chris states: I remember playing this song when we were called Sefler in a baseball batting cage in Sayersville, NJ.
2/5
12.
An Afternoon Laughing - Another one of their "punk" type songs. Drumming is very rigid updown beats. Guitar is just playing powerchords. Not much of the guitar play going on that Saves the Day is well known for. Only thing about this song is that the lyrics are absolutely amazing. Check them out sometime. Chris states: Back then in the days of Sefler, the only consistent shows we played were to our two friends in our practice space.
3/5
13.
Dave Feels Right - Yeah. You guessed it. Another "punk" aggression type song. Not much else here. Lyrics are pretty good as always. Chris states: He wrote the song about his friend Dave who ditched the band for his girlfriend.
3/5
14.
When It isn't Like it Should Be - A pretty catchy intro. Then it goes into yet another "punk/hardcore/whateverit'scalled" type of palm muted power chord striving up down beating syncopated songs. Where Chris is just sorta whining/ straining his vocals. Chris states: It is my absolute favorite song from our early history and is still one of my favorite songs I have ever written. We used to close every show with this song, and it would leave me feeling entirely drained.
3/5
15.
1959 - A thirty second song. Like their typical old stuff. Need I say more? Chris states: Here's the thirty second song that never made it onto the demo.
2/5
16.
I Think I'll Quit - Typical old type Saves the Day song. If you like their Can't Slow Down album, you'll probably love this stuff. But I'm not much of a fan of it. Chris actually makes some weird sounds on this song. Anyways, Chris states: A song that you can really tell I sound like a kid.
17.
Cheer - Semi catchy guitar intro. It's alright. It's supposedly a cover of a Descendants song. Not much stuff here. Chris states: That is was part of the Punk Rock Jukebox series in which hardcore bands covered old punk songs. But it never made the cut.
2.5/5
18.
Clash City Rockers - It definitely doesn't have much of a modern Saves the Day sound. It's like a mix between some Weezer/Rise Against/Green day type of song. (If it sounds nothing like what I mentioned, I'm a bit tired right now.) It's an alright song. Chris states: The cover of a classic Clash song.
3/5
19.
Jessie & My Whetstone (Live 2003) - It's pretty good. You can hear the audience cheering for them to do Jessie and they go crazy when he states that's what they're going to do. When Chris comes in for the intro, he sounds a bit weird though. But seems to correct himself afterwards. One of the catchy songs on the album. Some of their more modern stuff. Chris states: A recording from our tour with Taking Back Sunday, in the fall of 2003.
4/5
Good Points - It has basically all the stuff that you probably won't ever find anywhere else. It also has the best acoustic tracks they made. (But hey, those acoustics are probably on "I'm Sorry I'm Leaving" Anyways.)
Bad points - A lot of the songs on this album are either on other albums, such as "I'm Sorry I'm Leaving" or sound like the songs on "Can't Slow Down" with that more "punk" influenced beat. They don't have many nice songs that sound like stuff off their "Through Being Cool Album.")
Overall: 3/5
Should you get this album? Only if you like collecting their material, and like they're "Can't Slow Down" album. Other then that, you might want to stay away and by the "I'm Sorry I'm Leaving" album for the acoustics.
