Dealing With Damage – Use The Daylight LP (Little Rocket Records)

It has been roughly two years since I wrote a review about Ask More Questions, an expanded vinyl version of the debut full-length by Dealing With Damage. For those unfamiliar with the group, Dealing With Damage is a London-based melodic punk rock band consisting of former members of Sink, K-Line, Done Lying Down, Jerry-built, Stupids, The Scum Children, etc. Besides Ask The Questions CD and Ask More Questions LP, the band released Navigating The Middle Ground EP, Don’t Give Into Fear EP, and Home Security EP. As you can see, they keep their activities as prolific as possible. The best thing about this band is that each recording sounds superb without weak moments. A couple of weeks ago, Little Rocket Records announced Use The Daylight, a highly anticipated second full-length due for release on January 27th. It has recently arrived at our headquarters, and I must admit it looks eye-peeling. Use The Daylight comes on a beautiful yellow vinyl housed in a high-quality, glossy cardboard sleeve. The cover artwork consists of a photo collage decorated with a modern typographic design that vividly showcases the band name and album title. You’ll find more photos, a tracklist, and record label logos on the back. The inlay reveals a slightly different, abstract design, but it suits perfectly to this sleeve. Of course, the band included the entire tracklist on the inlay, and you won’t have any difficulties reading it.

Soundwise, Dealing With Damage differs from the remainder of the contemporary melodic punk rock scene. This band doesn’t hesitate to experiment with different music genres, and you’ll notice that while listening to their new album. They successfully levitate between contemporary and old-school melodic punk rock where the primary focus is on the healthy servings of distorted melodies, themes, chord progressions, and riffs. Dealing With Damage pay a lot of attention to the rhythm section, so you’ll notice those equally complex, warm-sounding basslines and profoundly energetic rhythmic sequences. The lead vocal performance comes like a cherry on the top, and his harmonies perfectly match this sonic equation, but let’s not forget all those back vocals and singalongs included along the way. I adore how these compositions resonate with polyphonic, cathartic, soothing ambiance but also carry impressive dosages of aggression, energy, and dynamics. These guys know what they’re doing, and they’re doing it pretty damn well. Besides melodic punk rock, you’ll stumble upon some of the finest properties of early emo, pop-punk, and post-hardcore, but don’t be surprised if you spot other complementary music genres. Dealing With Damage stacked Use The Daylight with brilliant ideas and exceptional musicianship. Like their previous record, Use The Daylight bursts with catchy melodic punk rock songs, assembled with a perfect sense of balance between aggression and melody. However, they obviously progressed over the years, and tried some new techniques, so they sound even better. Head to Little Rocket Records to pre-order this gem.