ALBUM REVIEW: You’re Welcome – A Day To Remember
The demand for A DAY TO REMEMBER to be as accessible as possible has risen almost symmetrically with their increasing popularity over the last decade. Once the metal band with pop hook choruses gain traction – there’s only so far they can go until their manifestation into radio friendly juggernauts is complete.
It’s something A DAY TO REMEMBER fans should have been aware of for a while now. If the rom-com bustling We Got This from 2016’s Bad Vibrations wasn’t enough evidence, the Floridians signature with new label Fueled By Ramen [TWENTY ONE PILOTS, PARAMORE] was a sure fire signal of where things were headed.
Even with that said though, You’re Welcome is hardly a transitional leap for A DAY TO REMEMBER. The band’s seventh outing may sound creatively barren in areas, but this isn’t a lackadaisical pop record by any stretch. Yes, the “Wait till I get some fuck you money” verbiage on F.Y.M is eye roll inducing, as is the lame, returning 90’s boyband opening tones of Bloodsucker. But for almost every one of the records pit falls, a moment to rejoice isn’t far behind.
High Diving is as infectious a track as the five piece have ever penned – the type vocalist Jeremy Mckinnon is suited perfectly to with his lavish pitch. And despite its at times, jarringly dumbed down structure – Viva La Mexico holds the band’s best party chorus post-Right Back At It Again. The brutal tonality, and half-timed breakdown of Last Chance To Dance is a welcome reminder the quintet can still throw punches with the best of them, too.
You’re Welcome undeniably gets stung by an unnecessarily crammed track listing though. Looks Like Hell catches the band in plodding rock limbo, and you’d be astonished if both Re-Entry and Only Money weren’t originally set to be bonus tracks. Much more noteworthy is the swinging flow of Permanent – it’s one of the few times on the album that the five piece sound comfortable in the pop-rock/metal halfway house, the bone crushing guitar lead climax helps as well.
Cliché though it might be: this is an A DAY TO REMEMBER record made for the big stage, more so than any other they’ve written. Epitomised by the predictable, yet guaranteed sing along architect Degenerates, You’re Welcome is the most simplistic we’ve heard A DAY TO REMEMBER. For Resentment‘s crushing “Welcome to the eye of the tiger.. GO!” mosh call, it works, for Brick Wall‘s basic, lamenting chord progression – it doesn’t.
For a record that arrives at such a pivotal point of the band’s career – You’re Welcome feels inconsequential. Despite its moments of occasional star power, A DAY TO REMEMBER‘s first run at leaning more heavily on their pop tendencies runs out of steam too often. For the time being, the size of the band’s fan base and live reputation may in fact see them continue to progress. But if true headline status is what they’re chasing, whatever follows this is already A DAY TO REMEMBER‘s most critical album ever.
Rating: 6/10
You’re Welcome is out now via Fueled by Ramen.
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