The problem with grunge music, specifically everything post-In Utero, was that a genre so built on authenticity lost its character. Grunge became what it was never meant to become: a caricature of itself, dressed fully in flannel and ripped jeans. The passion dried up like a puddle of water in the Nevada desert. The earnestness (and bodily abandonment) originating in the Northwest youth culture and popularized by Nirvana was suddenly a stunning expose on the music industry: find brilliance in a bottle and exploit, exploit, exploit. Long story short, what once was a good thing turned into Three Doors Down, Creed, and that Canadian monstrosity (what is their name again?). Yet, a funny thing happened in the 2000’s:  an underground movement born in the mid-90’s called emo gained (relative) traction, and passion seemed to once again infiltrate “mainstream” rock music (at least until it was exploited once more, but that is a story for another day). Fast-forward to today and we once again find a band whose trials are our penicillin. A fresh-faced band from Long Island called Daytrader are poised to take over the alternative scene with their brand of melodic, passionate rock music.

Daytrader’s debut full-length, Twelve Years, is a brilliant record. Combining the angsty aggression of Brand New with the workingman’s Americana  of the Gaslight Anthem, Twelve Years will leave you shell-shocked after only several spins. Perhaps it is a case of good timing, but the Rise Records quintet have delivered a record that is beautiful yet harsh, much like the voice of lead vocalist, Tym (side note: let us demand that all musicians use only one name from now on). Whether transitioning from eerie introductions to explosive choruses (“deadfriends”) or holding control via a more melodic delivery (“Skin & bones”), Tym has a knack for mimicking his emotions without becoming cliché (Jesse Lacey, anybody?).

Yet, Tym’s delivery is not the only determinant on the emotional impact on Twelve Years. Lyrically, Daytrader are not fooling around. “Whether it’s love or drugs or drinks, lust or vanity,” Tym croons on “If you need it”, “just take what you need but don’t let your vices bring you further down with them.” There is an emotive, yet not overly personal, pull to the lyrical fare Daytrader explore on Twelve Years; a pull that allows listeners to relate without being alienated. It’s a pull that is furthered by the stellar musicianship on display throughout the record.

Twelve Years is not musically groundbreaking. Yet, what the quintet set out to do, they accomplish. The drums are crisp and decisive. The guitar work is sharp and appropriate. The bass work glues all the components together. Whether presenting the up-tempo interplay of multiple instruments (“Struggle with me”) or the simplicity of an acoustic track (“Heard it in a song”), Twelve Years is a consistently no-frills, just rock endeavor. In a musical landscape oversaturated with computerized fluff and electro-breakdown-606-dance nonsense, Daytrader have elected to follow a more efficient and effective model of composition. Couple that with clean production, and Twelve Years is a treat in its simplicity.

It would be easy to heap overwhelming praise on a record and then expect others to blindly follow along with the recommendation, but that seems to be the antithesis of what Daytrader are attempting to convey. Twelve Years is an honest record, stripped of pointless charades, and uglied-up for our emo listening pleasure. Grunge, meet emo. Emo, meet grunge.

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