Spain isn’t exactly the first place that springs to mind when you think of pop punk. In fact, it’s probably one of the last. But Barcelona quartet Daylight could be set to change that. Having already become a European success story and toured with bands as diverse as MxPx, Reel Big Fish and McFly, they are set to bring their cheerfully rabble-rousing sound to the UK, starting with new album One More Fight.
One More Fight is filled to the brim with sugary sweet pop rock. But isn’t as one-dimensional as you’d think, as twin vocalists Wojtek and Olek Burek use the ten tracks to start a revolution with commandeering lyrics and pretty much every trick in the book. Gang vocals, “whoa-oh”s and addressing listeners with what can only be labelled as one-sided crowd participation are all heavily relied upon. And it creates a personal touch, even if it seems slightly contrived.
But the best part of this album is far and away the music. Most of its songs are fronted by euphoric lead guitar riffs which radiate summer and positivity. The prime examples are Now Or Never and We Are Strong’s ecstatic introductions, which are both dead certs to cheer anyone up. And it’s not just sunny pop rock, either. Revolution goes from saccharine to hundred miles per hour fist pumping in all of ten seconds, while the grittiness of the more modern-sounding Consequences could be mistaken for Neck Deep. But perhaps the best moment of innovation is in opener Anthem Of The Broken, in which the quartet pay tribute to their Spanish heritage by including the best acoustic guitar / castanet break ever heard in a pop punk song.
There are parts of One More Fight that don’t quite hit the spot like these tracks do, though. Acoustic ballad Another Day is a bit too sickly sweet compared to the rest of the album, and comes off more bland than it does heartfelt. It also marks the start of the more lacklustre second half of the record, which doesn’t quite live up to the excellent first. But the worst track on One More Fight is undoubtedly Best Days Of Our Lives. Acoustic guitar accompanying rapped lyrics about “hanging out” and “staying up late” which eventually introduces rock guitars is definitely something that should be locked away into a dark cupboard and never listened to again.
On the whole though, One More Fight is a confident, well executed UK debut which is sure to turn at least some heads. It may sound a little bit dated to some ears, but its exuberance is not something to be sniffed at. Anyone in need of something a little more cheery as we head into the winter months should look no further than Daylight.
7/10
For fans of: All Time Low, Good Charlotte, The All-American Rejects
Words by Georgia Jackson
‘One More Fight’ by Daylight is out now.
