Recommended Tracks: F.Y.M., Viva La Mexico, Everything We Need
Artists You May Like: Memphis May Fire, Pierce the Veil, Hands Like Houses
A couple of years ago, A Day To Remember were set to release their seventh studio album, You’re Welcome. The band released a few singles from the album, got their fans excited, and then dropped those three letters that nobody likes to see – TBD. No warning. No clue when the album was actually coming out. A crushing feeling that the album would never even be released and that the world is all a lie.
But, the news was not as severe as it felt. The guys knew how to hold everyone over, releasing webisodes, special merch, and festival announcements for 2021. And then, at the end of last year, ADTR gave their fans the best gift of all – the release date for the album! The question that lingers, though, is – was it all worth the wait?
For a band like ADTR, who have been together for quite some time, it can be tricky to find new ways to stay relevant. How do you keep the audience interested, especially in the post-hardcore scene? Luckily, they have enough experience to know how to keep fans engaged, and have delivered tracks on You’re Welcome that deviate from the expected. For instance, “Looks Like Hell” maneuvers from a dark rock track to an aggressive alt-rock anthem, featuring an eerie motif that starts on piano and makes its way to the electric guitar. We also have “Bloodsucker,” which blends fist-pumping-on-the-dancefloor energy with the laid-back sounds of classic Spanish-style guitar.
Lyrically, the album dives into the typical woes and feels we may experience on the daily, from being stuck in a dead end job to disconnecting from bad friends. There are also the tracks that carry the stress we have all felt during this pandemic, such as “Brick Wall” and “Permanent.” While these songs do not directly address the ongoing crisis, they touch on that feeling of hopelessness and not being in control – sensations that are inevitable during this time.
Yet, not everything is doom and gloom. On “High Diving,” for example, we hear about the importance of self-care. Jeremy sings, “If I’d just take a minute / To look around / I’d see I reached my limit,” concluding that it is time to breathe and regroup. While this sounds like a heavy topic, the song is very light and friendly, encouraging a more open mindset. There is also the anthemic, “Viva La Mexico,” which is about letting go and enjoying the moment. This track is a little grungy, a little spunky, but when that “ya ya ya / oo ee oo” hits you in the chorus, all of that attitude melts away – you just want to have a good time.
The main message of You’re Welcome comes across on the final track, “Everything We Need.” Up until this point on the album, we heard about having things, wanting things, and losing things. Sometimes, we get so caught up in our own minds and needs that we forget to find value in what we already have. Like Jeremy sings, “I know I got you / You know you got me / We got everything we need.”
All in all, A Day To Remember have a solid album with You’re Welcome. It is heartfelt, it is creative, and above all, it is unapologetic. There are times when the album comes across as a little dated, due to some of its music and themes, but nothing too lackluster. The ride that ADTR take us on is an enjoyable one, and while they might not need to hear a “thank you” for it, I send them one anyway.
You can listen to You’re Welcome on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
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