Many consider this record a classic for any kid growing up in the 1990s. Personally, I always saw 2001 follow-up Stay What You Are as the band's best work. Not taking anything away from Through Being Cool: "Shoulder To The Wheel", "Through Being Cool", and "Holly Hox, Forget Me Now" have long been late-night drunken sing-a-long material for my friends and I. And I've continuously pegged "Rock Tonic Juice Magic" as the best Saves the Day song (how can you not with a line like: "I would buy you lemonade right now. if you were here/I'd throw it in your face/ and listen to you cry.")
But in re-visitation, I've realized the quality in the record as a whole. The record, in general, proves to be the badass big brother to sensitive little bro record (Stay What You Are). The chugging chords and technical drumming found in cuts like "You Vandal", "The Vast Spoils of America" and ripping opener "All-Star Me" bring more of a hardcore background, punching you in the mouth where SWYA shied away. Vocally, Chris Conley's opts for a nasally bark that possesses much more body and power than the signature whine he has since developed. Even lyrically, where SWYA is philisophical and introspective TBC is vengeful, in-you-face, and optimistic.
I'm now pretty stoked that a lot my friends up and down the East Coast got to see Saves The Day tour stops all this past week even though I couldn't...just searching through their back catalog on my own I uncovered what will undoubtly be one of my most listened to albums in the future. Just check my Last FM currently...
As always hit the comments with any thoughts and check out Through Being Cool if you have the means.
Buy: Saves The Day - Through Being Cool
MySpace: Saves The Day
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