Album Review
Call It Home – “Better Days” [Album Review]
It takes something special to stand out from the pack and, although the Better Days’ formula is certainly nothing new, Call It Home are up there with the best of them.
After getting a series of singles and EPs under their belts, post-hardcore emergents Call It Home kick off 2018 with their debut full-length album Better Days. Since forming in 2012, the Long Island, NY quartet have secured quite a following by touring throughout the Northeast and completing extended runs on the Vans Warped Tour, making them a highly promising act to follow.
With so much competition in this already crowded genre, it takes something special to stand out from the pack and, although the this album’s formula is certainly nothing new, Call It Home are up there with the best of them, showcasing a blend of high-adrenaline, modern metalcore by combining thunderous breakdowns with emotive, soaring choruses similar to The Color Morale, The Plot In You and Issues.
Kicking off the album is the crowd pleasing combination of “Lights Out”, and the newly-released single “Lanterns”, both of which are perfect showcase tracks for this release; comprised of distorted guitar hooks, screaming verses, and soaring, positive pop-fueled clean choruses, surely sequenced with the sole aim of appealing to as wide an audience as possible. For me, however, it’s deeper into this record with the heavier hooks of “Lock & Key” and “Arrogance” which make Better Days more interesting. Groovier than the rest of the songs, the instrumentation here is particularly impressive, which when teamed with vocalist Chris Christofi’s aggressive style, hints at sitting more comfortably alongside bands like Bring Me The Horizon and early Architects.
You can view the video for the lead single “Lanterns” below.
The stuttering electronics of “Parasite” brings in some nice tech-metal vibes – a recurring tactic throughout the record – whilst it’s the three collaborations which generate the most interest, “Driftwood feat. Landon Tewers” (The Plot In You), “Deserter feat. Jayden Panesso” (Sylar), and “Lost Cause feat. Michael Swank” (Myka Relocate) are all decent tracks in their own right and showcase well the combination of talents on show.
Production values by Bryce Kariger are strong, and with only ten tracks clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the duration feels just right; by the time the heavy bouncy riff of “The Shallow End” kicks in, the dreaded repetitive format thoughts start to creep in. Let that not detract, though, from what this album is all about. A strong independent studio recording from a band climbing firmly to the top of the metalcore genre.
Better Days Track Listing:
01. Lights Out
02. Lanterns
03. Back To Reality
04. Driftwood (Feat Landon Tewers)
05. Lock & Key
06. Arrogance
07. Parasite
08. Deserter (Feat. Jayden Panesso)
09. Lost Cause (Feat. Michael Swank)
10. The Shallow End
Run Time: 29:20
Release Date: April 10, 2018
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