Days Away

The Feel Of It (2001)

Scott Heisel

Days Away have been paying attention. They have studied their peers. They graduated with honors from the Quicksand School of Hooks and Heaviness. They probably attend the Church of Jimmy Eat World Christ and the Latter Day Get Up Kid on Sundays. They know what works:

  • Lots of low end on the bass.
  • Jangly, repetitive [in a good way] guitar parts.
  • Just the right amount of vocal harmony.
  • Plenty of plaintive, wailing vocals [high pitched, of course].
  • Pounding [but not overdone] drumming.
  • Breakdowns in all the right places.
  • Sterling production.
  • An acoustic number to cap off the EP.

    The band has enough bite to satisfy any jaded scenester, as well as enough sincerity to quench the thirst of the biggest emo wuss you know. This EP blows you away with production that is bar none. I have no idea how a band this small on a label this insignificant can afford to make an album that sounds this good. Everything is clear and mixed really well, and when it all comes down to it, it's just loud. The lyrics are what you'd expect, 5 songs about girls. Oh well, they could have committed worse sins. If this EP falls into the right hands, this band will take off to heights that haven't been attained by a band in a long time. This CD is almost too good -- I keep thinking that I've heard it all somewhere before, but I can't remember where. I'm willing to bet that during a show, these guys all jump onstage at the same time, that they have huge Marshall stacks, and that they will soon have a hoarde of 14 year old girls trying to get with them. They're living the rockstar dream without the radio or MTV, but I'm willing to bet that the radio and MTV will catch up to them in a year or so. Be on the lookout.

    Hear the whole EP at DaysAway.net/thefeelofit