“The Daytime High” is the latest release by The Daytime High, an outstanding band based in Los Angeles, California. Recorded at the Garudio in Thousand Oaks between 2022 and 2023, it’s their debut full-length album released this year. Heavily promoted with “Reaper,” “Waterfall,” and “Pandemonium,” three exceptional compositions that you should immediately check out, this album showcases all the songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities of the entire band. For those who missed our previous writings about this excellent group, The Daytime High embraces the finest elements of alternative and indie rock, creating a distinctive, innovative, fresh yet nostalgic, and familiar sound. Of course, you’ll notice some other sonic ingredients, borrowed from music genres such as Brit-pop, power pop, nineties rock, and alternative rock. These experienced musicians poured heart and soul into this material, creating one of the finest alternative rock experiences this year.
“Every Single Day” opens this magnificent release with cleverly assembled arpeggiated and regular chord progression, impressive vocal harmonies, vividly hearable low-ends, and energetic beats that immediately remind you of sixties power pop and eighties indie rock music. However, this track also carries a sound quality that meets all the latest trends in music production, pushing all the vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers upfront. Therefore, you’ll hear everything these experienced musicians tried to achieve with their music. “Waterfall” is coming up next, bringing more modern sound, heavily drenched into the nineties alternative rock music. This track continuously levitates between all the significant eras for this genre, proving the versatility and creativity of these musicians. The dynamic rhythmic patterns propel the song to new heights while the guitars deliver tight riffs that perfectly complement marvelous vocal harmonies. There are subtle leads, themes, and melodies lurking around, spicing things up and uplifting everything to an entirely new level. “Never Good Enough” slows down the pace. It’s a magnificent ballad where well-accentuated rhythmic structure and heavy, deep, warm-sounding basslines reign supreme. You’ll also notice how semi-distorted and acoustic guitars wors contribute to the emotional depth of this track while the piano decorates each segment with marvelous performance. The vocals shine in the limelight here, as the perfect balance between low, mid, and high notes commands attention, guides the listening apparatus, but also delivers more emotion to the table.
“Driftin’” brings a subtle Southern rock feel with almost alt-country, folk rock, and classic rock instrumentations pervading from all possible sides. The acoustic guitars deliver catchy, memorable, engaging chord progression, providing a perfect backdrop for all the vocal maneuvers to shine upon. This track wouldn’t sound this good without some slide guitars, which shine on the particular segments. The rhythm section gives immense support to all these sonic maneuvers with another dosage of roaring low-ends and heavy drum beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. “Pandemonium” supplies another slab of power-pop melodies, harmonies, and other sonic acrobatics, empowered with energetic drumbeats. The vocals especially shine here, with all those impressive lows and highs delivered with such precision and finesse. The combination of acoustic and electric guitars brings a beautiful backdrop that shines with a serene, otherwordly atmosphere. The warmness of the cleverly assembled basslines makes this track even more enjoyable. It’s another standout of this comprehensive collection. “Melting” combines several styles at once. Besides the dominant indie-rock ambiance, you’ll hear how the band incorporated some of the finest elements of art-rock, post-rock, post-punk, and power pop. Some readers might think that there are way too many genres involved, but do not worry, these folks know how to assemble the perfect indie song where every element resonates with tremendous power.
The band continues this magnificent indie rock voyage with “History Man,” a beautiful track that reveals an entire amalgam of wisely, tastefully, expertly stacked layers of instrumentations. You’ll get lost in a whirlpool created by so many impressive guitar works. Each layer has its place and purpose in this sonic equation. The collection of themes, melodies, harmonies, chord progressions, accentuations, and other sonic maneuvers go beyond comprehension so many times throughout the entire track. The remainder of the band also plays a significant role by providing more power and dynamics for the vocals and guitars to shine. “Reaper” brings a nearly psychedelic rock experience with addictive, hypnotic, memorable low-ends while the reverby vocal harmonies grab you by the collar and lead all the way to the end. In the meantime, the raw, abrasive, heavily distorted guitars give that necessary dirtiness that makes this track so irresistible while the half-time, well-accentuated rhythmic sequences keep the remainder of the band in line. “Wanna Fall In Love” channels some nineties alternative and shoegaze vibes with additional power pop and classic rock hooks. This song will immediately transport you to times when all these music genres reigned supreme. Those catchy rock ‘n’ roll riffs, power pop chord progressions, and expertly performed vocal lines will immediately grab your attention. “The Daytime High” closes with “Open Up,” an exceptional ballad where acoustic guitars and synth ambiances bring an adequate backdrop for reverby vocal harmonies. It’s an anthemic, catchy, memorable song that forces you to sing along. This stripped-down version comes like a breath of fresh air after so many energetic, fully distorted songs, and it gradually prepares the listener for closure.
The Daytime High poured heart and soul into this material. You’ll notice how they thought about everything while writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing these tracks. They left no stone unturned while working on this album, resulting in a perfect collection of songs that will resonate with even the pickiest listeners. From exceptional vocal harmonies and impressive guitar works to equally intricate low-ends and groovy drumming performances, The Daytime High sounds divine from scratch to finish. You should put this debut on your radar as soon as possible. The album is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
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