Despite the fact that it’s characterised this release as much as the music itself, let’s put aside any talk of how this was released, who released it and all the side drama to focus on the music itself: ‘Common Courtesy’ is an absolute juggernaut of an album that cements A Day To Remember’s place as a powerhouse in the alternative music scene.
This is the Florida based band’s fifth studio album and easily their most accomplished to date. You’ve got the absolutely huge, obvious singles in waiting, tracks such as ‘Right Back At It Again’ and ‘Sometimes You’re The Hammer’ mixed perfectly with your routine ADTR album tracks in ‘Best Of Me’ and ‘Life @ 11’. The break downs are fun, the melodies are tight and the screaming is on the right side of ridiculous. It’s exactly what most of us look for in radio friendly rock and it’s likely to please the core fan base too.
Then, and somewhat surprisingly for ADTR, you have the added ballads of ‘I’m Already Gone’ and ‘End Of Me’ thrown in. These break up the album well and show a softer side to the band, one which many didn’t see coming. Whilst these tracks could certainly challenge the perception of the band, and open them up to a wider audience too, you still feel like A Day To Remember are better placed with their livelier efforts.
A Day To Remember can divide opinion at times, and ‘Common courtesy’ will no doubt have its critics. One sticking point is likely to be the reference to ‘bitch’ in ‘Right Back At It Again’, an unnecessary blight right when the album is at its most impressive. It seems deliberately provocative and a massive shame. Scratch that from the record, and this is an album which will sit comfortably in many top ten lists come the end of the year. A massive effort, and an impact only aided by how the album came to be released.
TOM BECK