When asked what the single most important element of music is, I’d venture to guess that a rather large contingent would tell you “melody.” Days Like These understand this, and subsequently have dropped an album full of 12 tracks just brimming with it. I’d go so far as to say that Inventure oozes melody from every single pore.

These New Jersey upstarts simply have a good grasp on what it means to write an enjoyable pop-rock tune, and that’s just what they do. They don’t try to overextend themselves, instead they’re smart enough to play off their strengths to the fullest. Singer Angel Santiago is the basis of the band's writing, and his vocals make every track sound as crisp and as fluid as the last. Like the band as a whole, he never tries to overextend his own bounds, singing just enough to base the harmonies around effectively. Those harmonies seem to get better by the track, as every hook and chorus really does implant itself firmly into your head, which in this case is not a problem at all.

While the vocals are the main attraction, I really don’t want to sell any of the other members of this band short, as they have no problem pulling their own weight on the album. No, it’s not difficult music to play, but there are bits and pieces of music that show that these guys have a sound technical basis, even if it’s only a quick riff or drum fill here and there. The point is, they’re solid musicians, and that’s all that’s truly required of bands like this. A tight rhythm section will take a pop-rock band farther than is even necessary, but Days Like These throw in some extras to keep you coming back. There’s just a real strong, almost whimsical atmosphere in some songs that you simply don’t find in a pop-rock record, but the band pulls it off well, as well as the transitions between those periods, and the more upbeat melodies.

One listen to “Like Bombs,” and you can’t help but be drawn in; the chorus is just infectious, which is followed up by the more groove oriented “Charmed,” an equally solid track. The ability to go back and forth in tempos at ease is one that greatly benefits the six-piece, again each contributing well to the overall feel of the record.

Days Like These impress in a variety of areas on their Lobster Records debut; without being groundbreaking, they provide a lot to like.