Saves The Day - 'In Reverie' (Dreamworks)
3/5
By: Toby L
With the likes of Weezer bouncing up every now and then for surges of violent activity, and then even more violent bouts of inactivity thereafter, presumably, America can't wait for two minutes before drafting in the next in line to satisfy its jaunty, melodic, grisly-guitared, college-radio schedule-fillers... Enter Saves The Day, with their fourth studio-album to date.
Yet, unlike Rivers Cuomo's massively popular and influential quartet, New Jersey's Saves The Day's twee-pop is awkward in its veering from heavy-to-sweet in a heartbeat, whilst vocalist Chris Conley is almost certainly likely to divide listeners, a boyish high-pitch and accompanying lyrics of arguable triviality hardly feed for the pseudo-intellects.
But this ain't for the purists - rather more, 'tis for the tune-lovers, the romanticists and indie-sweater adorners. And perhaps people with perilously floppy hair. Assisted via gleaming production from henchman of The Vines and Foo Fighters - Rob Schnapf - in spite of hatred of the clichι, 'In Reverie' may well serve itself as the quartet's finest, most rounded record to date: consistently melodic, bulging with chiming guitar-intricacies and chipper, vigorous rhythm-parts.
Always jubilant, seldom still (save from the sparkling, almost beauteous minimalism of 'She', or ambient regret of 'Tomorrow Too Late'), more than often comical ('Monkey'), embarrassingly cute ('Wednesday The Third') and helplessly radio-friendly ('Driving In The Dark', growling entrance of 'Anywhere With You'), these are speedy, up-tempo and heady pop-frolics 'n' thrills - repeatable as they are fresh, and fun as they prove mildly disposable.
And now Cuomo and co. are quite possibly outta the void for some time once more, isn't it impeccable timing that their bedraggled, adorable successors are with us again, to - effectively - save the day? Corny, but very fitting.
Artists in this article: Saves The Day
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