A Day To Remember - What Separates Me From You - Review

This is a tricky one. I really like ADTR, I've bought their CD's, live DVD's, seen them live. And don't get me wrong I think this is a really good album... it's just not A Day To Remember. When you compare it to Homesick then it just seems like they've pussied out. Not just because a lot of the screaming has been toned down, I don't think that makes them any less heavy, but if you listen to the albums one after another, you'll know what I mean.

Despite this the album opens strongly, Sticks and Bricks and, I know people will disagree, All I Want are in my opinion two of the stand out tracks of the album. I think All I Want could have fitted seamlessly on Homesick. The lack of screaming doesn't bother me on this track, I still feel it's a heavy song. The next few tracks to me are pretty anonymous until 2nd Sucks which I think is a beast and reminds me of old ADTR and Better Of This Way has an epic chorus. All Signs Point To Lauderdale is pretty good... but it's just not an ADTR song and has such a cliché, over rhyming chorus it makes me feel ill.

You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic is a reminder that ADTR have it in them to please their loyal fans with their failsafe structure (screamed verse, clean chorus, heavy-as-fuck breakdown). The final two tracks don't really do it for me and If I Leave, by my ears, sounds so heavily borrowed from The Used's, All That I've Got I just want to turn it off. I feel, as a final song, it's a big letdown.

Overall, I think this is a GOOD album. As an ADTR album I think it's a pretty solid effort and I'd never diss them for changing their style, it's their band and there's nothing wrong with progression. Without bands having the guts to try something new then albums such as Refused's Shape of Punk to Come or even Blink 182's self titled would have never come to light (I'm definitely not comparing What Separates Me From You to these albums, just using them for reference). There will always be people who dislike this as it betrays their expectations of ADTR but, like I said, on the whole it's a GOOD album, not fantastic but still good and there will be tons of people out there who will buy this album.

I'm giving this album
3 out of 5

If you like ADTR you should also check out these bands:
Four Letter Lie, Yashin, Of Mice And Men