Ronnie Day – The Album / 2006 The Militia Group / 16 Tracks / http://www.ronniedaymusic.com / http://www.themilitiagroup.com / Reviewed 25 February 2007

The stuff that comes forth during “Half Moon Bay” is so freaking odd. There are hints of Chris Rice and even Weird Al Yankovic present during the initial track of Ronnie Day’s, but like a car crash, individuals cannot do anything but focus in more on what is happening. The best thing about the opening track is that Ronnie Day comes forth and has pacing that actually challenges the dominant time signatures that are so common in popular music. The same style of interesting pacing comes out during “November Storms”, but the track slows down and allows the drums to become much more intense and stand-up. While there is still a lot of emo present in Ronnie Day’s tracks, there is a concerted effort by Day to go forth and blur the lines between the emo genre and pop music.

Thus, Day’s music is much more along the line of another Militia Group artist – The Rocket Summer – than bands like A Static Lullaby and Acceptance. A track like “Living For Love” is the perfect blend of styles, with Ronnie Day moving between the Counting Crows and Hidden In Plain View. I could definitely see Day’s work being the blueprint for the music of the next fifteen years, much as in the same way as New Found Glory and Bowling For Soup will be in just a few years. Pure pop is what Ronnie Day should be known for, and this disc will sell more copies based on the fact that hints of emo present themselves at a number of points during this album.

The production allows Day to shine, while the tracks have enough of an edge to go down early but embed themselves in listeners’ hearts. The only thing that stops or slows down the energy created by this album are the large number of interludes that are present. While they are solid bits of instrumentation, they do not have the same slinky sound or allure that the rest of the tracks on the disc have. I know Ronnie Day will be able to succeed with or without my recommendation, but this album is so attractive, so easy to love, that individuals that do not know what Day is capable of should pick up a copy and become intimate. It should only be a short time before the sweet-sounding pop of Day will be played all the time on mTV and Fuse; be a fan before the posers are.

Top Tracks: November Storms, Written At A Rest Stop

Rating: 7.2/10

[JMcQ]