Part two in the trilogy of concept (small C) albums, Under the Boards sees Saves the Day back on a quick release schedule. This follow up to Sound the Alarm took only a year to release, compared to the three that passed between Sound the Alarm and the critically-panned In Reverie. With a third record, Daybreak, already in the works for 2008, it seems the band have been busy - but has it paid off?
Sound the Alarm felt a little rushed at times, possessing perhaps a pleading tone with disgruntled fans who didn't appreciate the more experimental (for a pop/punk band) touches of In Reverie. Under the Boards, then, is more of the same, but perhaps a little more focused and sharper. Kicking off with the dark and broody "Under the Boards", we're treated to some introspective lyrics courtesy of Chris Conley, who, let's be honest, is Saves the Day. This record saw the departure of longtime (by Saves the Day standards) drummer Pete Parada, who was replaced with Durijah Lang of Glassjaw, joining former bandmate Manny Carrero who joined the band as bassist in 2005. Consequently, the rhythm section has a much stronger link than on previous records, with a tight bass presence and sharp attention to drum presence.
Conley's vocals are often criticized for their nasal and whiny tone, and while Under the Boards is no different, you're unlikely to still be following the band if you never liked them to start with. Even for a self-confessed fan, however, some tracks did bring a mild wince to my face as I wonder how exactly listening to Saves The Day is different from listening to the New Found Glorys of the musical world.
"Radio" is an obscenely hook-laden track that will probably end up on the radio for its throwaway lyrics ("We're singin' with the radio / Singin' whoaaaa, whoaaaaa-ohhh") although the little guitar licks in the verse give it a slight advantage over other radio-friendly pop rock songs. Up next like a one-two punch is "Can't Stay the Same" which is equally unashamed in its pop roots but will find even the most jaded melodic hardcore fans guiltily tapping their feet to the chorus, even if it is only a few steps away from Kelly Clarkson and uses the same chord progression as countless pop punk classics - "When I Come Around" and "What's My Age Again?" spring to mind.
"Get Fucked Up" - not actually an anthem for drinking and drugs - portrays a Through Being Cool-esque lyrical theme of unrequited love and late nights in outdoor suburbia, but is a mid-tempo rocker instead of that record's melodic hardcore overtones. "When I'm Not There" is a little too whiny, with Conley's vocals sounding a bit pathetic despite lyrical barbs like "I often wonder how you'd look without your teeth [...] / I never loved you".
"Lonely Nights" begins like an indie-pop piano track whereas "Bye Bye Baby" is a tolerable but tossable upbeat pop/rock track that your younger sister probably wouldn't turn off. Up next is the honest "Stay," a mostly acoustic track that features some of Conley's most emotive singing since the band's acoustic EP. At this, the record's halfway point, we begin a shift into a darker and more melancholic tone, coupled with almost suicidal anger in "Getaway."
The closing three tracks are slow and brooding with "Woe" beginning with perhaps Saves The Day's most aggressive and noisy intro. Chords mount up on another and thrash into the closing track "Turning Over in My Tomb", which as the name may clue you in, ends the record thematically with a sense of finality.
More focused than In Reverie, an improvement on Sound the Alarm, and a return to form since 2001's Stay What You Are, this record proves that the band aren't quite over with just yet. The dark lyrical tone, while nothing new considering Conley's macabre lyrical history, gives the album an edge and a purpose that works as a cyclical narrative of the inner workings of the singer's mind. Musically we're given a sample of most of the things the band have come to be associated with, and the guys sound more secure with their goals and intentions for the record. While it's still no Through Being Cool (and I seem to remember ending my review of Sound the Alarm like this), it's now evident that the band have long ago left that period behind them and are expecting fans to do the same. A grown-up response.
