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Time Again

Darker Days
2008
Hellcat

Time Again - Darker Days (Cover Artwork)

Review by: henrikmain
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Published on February 29th 2008

Time Again is pretty much a band that you either hate or love: Some people claim that the band, and especially frontman Daniel Dart, deserve to be ridiculed and called poseurs at every given opportunity. Others claim that Time Again deserve to be hailed for their uncanny ability of writing catchy, fun, melodic punk rock. Having grown up on Rancid's (first) self-titled, Let's Go and ...And Out Come the Wolves, I firmly belong in the latter camp: I'm a sucker for their anthemic brand of Rancid-influenced punk.

Less than two years after their debut full-length, The Stories Are True, L.A.'s very own Time Again is back with their sophomore release, Darker Days. It's safe to say that Daniel Dart and company don't tread new ground with their latest offering; what we've got here is basically The Stories Are True Part Two. However, the band sounds tighter and more energetic than ever, and the production is also slightly better than that of their first LP, letting the bass lines shine in all their Matt Freeman-esque glory.

The bass lines aren't the only aspect of Time Again's music that is similar to Rancid, though. Vocalist Daniel Dart's voice bears a striking resemblance to Tim Armstrong's raspy vocals, and the general vibe of this album is extremely similar to that of Let's Go, for instance. The lyrical approaches of both bands are also very alike: Topics such as life on the streets, dealing with tough situations in life and the classic "rising up after you've been knocked down" theme are covered thoroughly, to say the least. Hardly innovative stuff, and some critical voices even claim that Daniel Dart's stories about his life as as a homeless, alcohol-abusing adolescent are exaggerated or borderline fiction, but it's what you've come to expect in this genre, and I find the positive outlook that runs through the lyrics pretty enjoyable.

As for the high point of this record, it's definitely the fact that almost all of the songs are anthemic, extremely catchy pieces of melodic punk rock. "Looking Back," "Lines Are Faded," "Moving On," "TV Static," "Streetwalker" and "Outcast" all have the potential of becoming punk rock classics -- in my book, "Looking Back" probably being the absolute highlight of the disc, a mid-tempo, pushy affair featuring a chorus that you'd have to be deaf not to sing along to.

Darker Days isn't an innovative record that redefines the genre -- far from it, but it's a tour de force in anthemic punk rock, done just the way I love it. Time Again has never claimed that they're reinventing the wheel, and "formulaic" might even be a fitting description of their music, but does it really matter when the actual music they release is taken from the top drawer of punk? Hardly. I dig this record, and highly recommend it to those of you who still get goosebumps when listening to punk rock anthems such as "The Way I Feel," "Black and Blue" or even "Broken Bodies."

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Posted by punx26 on 2008-04-02 01:24:23
My Score:

I dont understand how someone whos into punk rock can hate these guys. They've put out wicked punk rockin tunes that just make me wanna dance in the pit. Tme again you guys haul hard!

Posted by mcfcpraha on 2008-03-28 11:06:33
My Score:

"Tim Again" - ho ho ho. Who cares that Time Again sound like Rancid? Who cares that Daniel looks like a catalogue punk (as does Tim)? Time Again are one of the most exciting live bands around and this record captures a lot of that excitement. They also are genuinely friendly guys who are willing to hang out after their shows and chat to the gig goers.

Posted by disconnected on 2008-03-26 20:51:11
My Score:

if rancid took a shit and looked in their toilet, time again would be there

Posted by DoktorAwesome on 2008-03-06 05:01:28
My Score:

A nice new rancid... arrg mean time again album! :-) but still better than most of the genre! cool!

Posted by Oldpunkerforever on 2008-03-03 06:37:01
My Score:

well done, better than half the shite people call punk on this site and a very strong GR influence as mentioned-oldpunker-

Posted by Jesus_H_Christ on 2008-03-02 11:49:28
My Score:

Tim Again!

Amirite???????????????

Posted by AlmostPunkEnough on 2008-03-01 19:50:53
My Score:

GlassPipeMurder: i thought i was the only one who noticed the GR sounds here and there, some very obvious (read: good). overall this type of thing isn't my normal style, but this album has a certain fun feel to it that i can't shake.

and to whom it may concern otherwise: i didn't mind the review, it's actually refreshing to have someone admit they like the band for once, instead of pretending ever so dilligently that they're subjective (this obviously doesn't apply to every review here by any stretch). but any fuckin way, i just got a phone call in the middle of writing this and forgot what else i wanted to say. damnit.

Posted by Sed77 on 2008-03-01 16:18:12

henrikmain: Not only did you not proof-read or fact check your review, as someone else pointed out, you also failed to review the album. You just talk about how much you love this band, no critique at all, despite the fact that the album is so formulaic that you can predict the tempo of the next song: kinda fake angry to pop punky sing along, back and forth without fail. This record was actually made over a year ago and shows no progress or growth, something every band should strive to achieve. These are simply C-Sides to "The Stories Are True". If you love this band so much, push them towards reaching for something new, not repeating their tired formula.

Posted by GlassPipeMurder on 2008-03-01 16:08:35
My Score:

good stuff, i almost hear a little early Good Riddance in some of it.

Posted by Torgo on 2008-03-01 15:18:54

I know it's punknews and not the new york times, but I find it kind of a faux-pas to announce your love for a band in any review.

Posted by Crapneck on 2008-03-01 12:34:56
My Score:

I just can't get into them. The voice is annoying.

Posted by pricey123 on 2008-03-01 09:22:10

hellcat continue to unimpress me so i won't bother with this

Posted by spec on 2008-03-01 09:01:44

"Vocalist Daniel Dart's voice bears a striking resemblance to Tim Armstrong's raspy vocals"

Massive understatement.

Posted by henrikmain on 2008-03-01 05:02:32

Sed77: Yeah, that was an embarrassing mistake on my part. Don't know how I actually managed to do that. I own Time Again's discography in its entirity, though, and am very familiar with their music, so I'd trust my review nevertheless.

Posted by Sed77 on 2008-03-01 02:04:21
My Score:

"Streetwalker" is not on Time Again's second album. It's on their first. After seeing that, I doubt I'll rely on your 4 star review. This is a band that badly needs to step out of Rancid's shadow and try to find their own voice. Literally.

Posted by Xine on 2008-03-01 00:19:53
My Score:

Solid.

Posted by AphasiacIIc on 2008-02-29 22:23:29
My Score:

love this

Posted by Fallen_leaves on 2008-02-29 21:11:43
My Score:

They probably sucked Tim Armstrong's dick to get on hellcat. then again they would probably suck Tim Armstrong's dick for nothing at all except to show how much they love him.

Posted by Hey_Asshole on 2008-02-29 20:19:25

yawn...

no fucking thanks

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