Search - Saves the Day :: Under the Boards (W/Dvd)

Meh...

Geoffrey G. Mcelwee | Chocolatetown, USA | 03/31/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"i picked up this album with high expectations after reading the reviews on amazon...despite what the one guy said...i don't think this album caters to the "old heads"...unlike many saves the day fans...i feel that their best music started with through being cool...stay what you are was comparable in some aspects...but the main thing that drew me to STD was their ability to take morbid lyrics and make them sound incredibly happy and upbeat...sound the alarm touched on that and imo was a great album...



this album has some similarities to sound the alarm in some of its overall sound...but is more reminicent of in reverie



this could be like in reverie...in that...it takes me a while to really get into it...if that happens i'll adjust me review



for now...not an incredibly strong album"

Great Album

T M Flores | Detroit, MI | 06/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many Saves the Day detractors have complained about this band ever since In Reverie (which was a great album in my opinion) was released, and is completely unjustified. StD remains one of the best bands out there because they are a not a static group of musicians; each album they make is unique. Discontent with simply releasing music that is the same as past efforts, StD evolves with each release and with Under the Boards has created their strongest album since Stay What You Are.



Under the Boards starts off with the title song and sets the theme for the album with its dark mood. "Radio" follows and continues the atmosphere, albeit with more pop than the heavy "Under the Boards". "Can't Stay the Same" could easily be a hit single on the radio; it is incredibly catchy. However, the song stands out slightly from the rest of the album because of how poppy it is. Saves the Day returns to the darker theme with "When I'm Not There". "Lonely Nights" is a nice deviation with the piano. It starts off as a ballad of sorts, and then kicks into a heavier rock, which really makes this song exceptional. By far the most pop influenced song, "Bye Bye Baby" breaks up the melodrama that would've occurred and dragged the album if "Stay" had followed "Lonely Nights". Following all the pop and slow acoustic, "Getaway" marks the final part of Under the Boards, which is much heavier rock that harkens back to Can't Slow Down. Some songs like "Kaleidoscope" and "Woe" are even harder than Sound The Alarm. The album finishes with "Turning Over in My Tomb" which completes the theme Saves the Day set out to create. It almost feels like it could be the second half of "Under the Boards".



This really is a great album, and the atmosphere that permeates throughout is exemplified by the album art. Taking a drive at night is perfectly complemented by a listen of Under the Boards. Almost any fan can find a song to like on this album, as the songs are varied and distinct; this isn't an album you play, and later you realize that the song you were listening to was over ten minutes ago."