Daytrader - Twelve Years

I'm starting to delve into some releases that I've criminally missed over the passed twelve months or so. I'm starting with US emo/punk band Daytrader. Twelve Years came out in May 2012, so quite a while ago now. Daytrader signed with Rise Records back in October 2011and then called it a day in 2012, so this review is kind of a posthumous review of their debut. I feel it's worth doing as I thought Daytrader were one of the best bands on Rise's roster and I'm sure others felt the same.

Tracklist:-

1. Dead friends
2. If You Need It
3. Firebreather
4. Skin & Bones
5. Lost Between The Coasts
6. After-Image
7. Struggle With Me
8. Silver Graves
9. Heard It In A Song

10. Letter To A Former Lover

I'll admit that I was never really into Weezer and they're the first band the springs to mind when Dead Friends starts. That comparison only really works though during the first verse, as that similarity vanishes as Daytrader hit their stride during the chorus. Driving guitars, loud singing and drumming to match. Their sound is more rock than emo at the moment, but it's still tonnes better that what gets passed off as chart music here in the UK.

If You Need It was the song I was waiting to hear. Soaring clean vocals to start with and then more melodic emo/punk flair. It's really upbeat and it's the kind of song you could sing-along too even if you didn't know words. It's got that familiarity to it, like the kind of song you always listen to when you need a pick me up. I'm loving the laid back feel of Twelve Years. It's full of great songwriting that's simple but effective. I especially like the fact that Daytrader didn't choose to fill their album with all those electronic effects that are currently the fashion in mainstream American punk/screamo. It's really refreshing to hear. That uncomplicated approach is definitely true of Firebreather. It's one of those songs that will get stuck in your head for days.

The atmosphere seems to change with the entrance of Skin & Bones. It seems darker and the story told within the lyrics show a different side to Daytrader. There's a layers of soul within the vocals on Twelve Years. Lost Between The Coasts just soothes you with that very texture and the musicianship behind it all, manages to remain sensitive to it and compliment’s the vocals really well. The production helps too, as you'd expect. Daytrader were never going to release a poorly produced record were they! Their emo influences shine through during tracks like After-Image, especially in their music. I have to admit, I'd like to hear some screaming over the top, but that's just me being selfish and having spent too much time listening to proper emo/screamo over the last twelve months.

Daytrader spread their wings further as they get deeper into the second half of Twelve Years. Struggle With Me shows their more urgent side while Silver Graves is more experimental and off-kilter than you might expect. It's still a damn good tune and looses none of its catchiness as a result. Heard It In A Song is full of folk inspiration and sound like Defeater at their acoustic best. That's a lazy comparison but the song is really that good. It's shows a sentimental side to the band and one which allows their song-writing to really shine through. They may not be in full, amplified flow but who needs that when you have melodies like this?

It then flawlessly flows into closing number Letter To A Former Lover that strangely, is my standout track on Twelve Years, It's a frantic, loud rock song that embodies Daytrader's energy and emotion. It closes an album which will no doubt still be held in very high regard by those who've wrapped their ears around it. It's a huge pity that Daytrader called it a day because they would surely have gone on to greater things. Still at least they gave this album!

You can still stream Twelve Years in it's entirety via the Rise Record Youtube channel here http://www.youtube.com/playlist.

You can buy Twelve Years from Rise Records in either CD, Digital or awesome vinyl format from here http://riserecords.merchnow.com/catalogs/daytrader.

Daytrader Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/daytraderny