A Day to Remember, a pop-punk band from Ocala, Fla., just put out an album on October 8 titled Common Courtesy. It's been quite the wait for this record -- almost three years to be exact. What took so long is the ongoing court case with their record label. (Well, it's kind of a weird situation right now.) Also, because of this court case, they self-produced and self-released it by themselves. Despite the three-year wait that seemed like an eternity for a super-fan like me, it was definitely worth the wait.
In December of 2012, they released their first single off of the album, "Violence (Enough is Enough)," which got everyone pumped for what was to come from Common Courtesy. On top of that sneak peek, in the two U.S. tours that they have done this year, they have played other songs from the album, like "Right Back At It Again" and "Dead & Buried." I thought the songs were amazing live, but on the actual record, you learn so much more about the songs and appreciate it so much more.
For someone who has never listened to A Day to Remember but enjoys pop-punk music, here's what to expect: I can almost guarantee that you'll enjoy at least a little bit. Their melodies are bound to get engraved in your brain. And if you're going through a semi-bitter break-up, you'll probably relate to a few of the songs. Let's be honest: What's better than being able to relate to music? (Let alone super-catchy music!)
For someone who has listened to A Day to Remember: Common Courtesy reminded me of a lot of their older albums in different ways, which is a good thing, of course. For example, "Life Lessons Learned The Hard Way" was a heavy song, something that would remind a fan of something from For Those Who Have Heart. Then, they have a couple acoustic songs, which may remind them of "If It Means A Lot to You." Overall, the way I look at it is that the album is almost like a time line of music they have made, and music they are beginning to make. On the first listen, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It wasn't a snoozer album -- every song told a new, different story with different music with different beats.
Let's break it down.
Pros of Common Courtesy: I really enjoyed how relatable a lot of the songs were. I also loved how the song "The Document Speaks for Itself" gives you an insight on their court case with their record company. It's a unique and interesting way to let the fans know what exactly is going on.
Cons of Common Courtesy: I may be being a little biased because A Day to Remember is my favorite band, but I can't pick out any flaws with the album. Yes, it is that good!
To sum it up, I will happily give Common Courtesy five out of five stars. It's easy to get stuck in your head and easy to jam to; it's truly 54 minutes of pure amazing-ness! I can say that I'm really proud of these guys for being able to put out such a phenomenal album all by themselves. To get a listen to this album, you can listen to it on YouTube or buy it off of their online store (it isn't available on iTunes yet, nor in stores because of their court case). However, in a few months they are looking to release a physical copy with three extra songs! How exciting is that?