Review Summary: Rory’s back! I mean… uh… Dayseeker’s back!
Rory Rodriguez has an incredible voice. I honestly don’t know much about him, but the man can
sing. His pipes are the cornerstone of Dayseeker’s music and if that wasn’t clear up to this point, it sure is now.
I was slightly apprehensive going into this record, but ultimately I’m not going to fault Dayseeker (or really Rory himself) for sending their next album,
Dark Sun, further into pop music territory. It may not be as interesting to listen to as
Sleeptalk was from a purely instrumental standpoint, but that doesn’t mean that Dayseeker fall flat on their faces as they move into that realm.
It could be argued that the reason they don’t fall flat, however, is because of Rodriguez’s contribution. Erase his voice from any track, and it instantly becomes mediocre at best, with toned down musicianship, unnecessary breakdowns, and borderline lazy guitar and drum work. To dismiss the record for those shortcomings though, while not entirely unjustified, would be a bit short-sighted.
If Rodriguez’s voice is the centerpiece of their songwriting, it follows that the music would be oriented towards showcasing it. It seems that the band have come to the conclusion that by doing the cool post-hardcore stuff, they are possibly detracting from their very best piece. If that is the case, it would naturally follow that Rory would be given the space to do his job and turn these “lazy” songs into meaningful ones. And boy, does he deliver.
Between the massive hooks, the restrained verses and bridges that incorporate both, Rodriguez’s voice is dazzling. Adding to that is the raw emotion he brings to the table, considering the subject matter of the record being the untimely passing of his father (listen to “Parallel” for the best example). It’s clear he’s putting his all into it and that takes this record from being bland into being worthwhile.
That being said I am not, and have never been, a huge fan of Rodriguez’s harsh vocals. I can appreciate that they are trying to stick to their post-hardcore roots to avoid totally alienating their fan base, but most of the time it doesn’t work on this record. If anything the breakdowns seem plugged in without regard to the flow of the song, which can be quite jarring. Fortunately, his harsh vocals are minimal.
So while the album is not as good as I had hoped it might be, it’s better than I thought it would be. Certainly Rory’s performance is worth a listen all by itself, and at least I can breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that at least this band is getting the whole hardcore to pop thing pretty right.
