Drive By – I Hate Every Day Without You Kid / 2006 Riot Squad / 11 Tracks / http://www.drivebyworld.com / Reviewed 19 May 2006

The blend of emo and punk that Drive By begin their “I Hate Every Day” really should remind listeners of acts like Yellowcard. In fact, the only thing that really distinguishes the two bands is that Drive By does not have a violin in their music. Tracks like “Maybe Someday” uses a dual vocal attack to try to top the beautiful arrangements present at all parts of “I Hate Every Day”. Drive By have a distinct sound that they cultivate during the album, but this sound is not distinct enough to turn individuals away from the band.

This means that Drive By has some context with the rest of the bands that have came before them, especially those that are in the same musical genre (emo) as Drive By. In a sense, Drive By actually pushes on the issue and includes some influences that are not emo; during tracks like “Promise”, the band takes on the New Radicals and Oasis at the same time. The strong vocal entry into “Accidents” shows that the band is confident in each constituent member; while Drive By is not at the bleeding edge of music creation, they do play a tight blend of emo styles that seems to have a long shelf life. There are times on “I Hate Every Day” where Drive By seems to be slowing down, and it is only a few minutes later that tracks like “The Hand that Cuts” rock the hell out of listeners.

It is not that the band is virtuosic or driven to create the fastest or hardest album, but rather that they cut an intricate and good one. This is what they do with the majority of “I Hate Every Day”. The use of staggered and multiple vocals during “Spending Time Alone” shows the highest point of the CD for the band. In this track, Drive By has a “crew” chorus in which three or four individuals throw in in what has to be some of the catchiest choruses since Strike Anywhere came out with “Exit English”. This chorus is ultimately familiar, to the point which listeners will try to put their finger on what it sounds like. This bodes well for the band, as familiarity with a band breeds further listening. This all-together brand of chorus shows up again during “Why Are You Following Me?”, the penultimate track and one of the best songs on the disc. Drive By has succeeded in popping a cap into the lifeless corpse of popular music, allowing it to look lively for the forty-five minutes this disc plays.

Top Tracks: Why Are You Following Me?, Spending Time Along

Rating: 7.0/10

[JMcQ]