Greetings dearest music fans and readers worldwide, let’s welcome The Daytime High. The Daytime High, hailing from Los Angeles, United States, is a dynamic trio consisting of Michael Johansson on vocals and guitar, David James on vocals and guitar, and Rich Buckland on bass, keys, and programming. The band, which was formed at the end of 2022 after a lengthy history of friendship, finds inspiration in a variety of iconic performers, including Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Beatles. On 13th September the band released a 10-song album called “The Daytime High”. Let’s talk more about the album
The record’s first song is called “Every single day”. This song opens with a burst of energetic instrumentation the song is about a character who wants to go out because he doesn’t want to see her crying and tells her that he loves her every single day (I love to every single day”). The vocal performance was a really captivating experience and this song is the perfect choice to convince you to listen to the next nine songs
“Waterfall” is the song that is up next. The song has yet another upbeat intro. The song is about a character who wants to be left alone (“all I want to feel is the sorrow”). The vocal performance is just off the charts and the bass and classic guitar sounds are so intense and glorious. This song will get you up on your feet before you realize you are jumping and dancing to the beat
Next is “never good enough”. The song has a slow intro which is still exciting. This song is about a person who feels hopeless and wonders and questions why he was even born at all because I matter what he did he felt less than (“We try but we are never good enough”). The instrumentation is slow so we can hear the fantastic vocal performance. The lyrics are morose but we get into the headspace of the persona and feel what he or she felt like
“Driftin” is the next song on the record. The intro of this song has a nice drum beat and some guitar songs. The character in the song is talking about having the blues and rethinking everything(“driftin’ to the blues”). The song is slow and has country influences that are just spectacular to behold and hear. The short guitar solo also didn’t come to play at all. All in all this song was a beautiful treat for our ears to enjoy
“Pandemonium” is the song the song that comes next. The song opens with very delicious and upbeat instrumentation. The persona in the song is trying to convince his lover not to leave him because he needs her (“it won’t be the same so can I change your mind I need you, I need you now”). In an attempt to convince her to stay, he lists all his flaws and how his life was a mess before he met her. This is a beautiful romantic declaration of love is beautiful but on the other hand, it is also a lot of responsibility that he has put on this other person’s shoulder. The vocal performance is lively and the instrumentation matches the vocal performance’s vibe completely and gives it a beautiful aura
Next is the song “Melting”. The song opens with choral piano sounds and then the performance starts then the song changes its tempo. In the song, the character in the song seems to be trapped in a bad relationship where one party lies over and over again which makes the foundation of the relationship start to crumble (”everything you say is a lie, were meeting”). The guitar song was a nice surprise and the song is just perfect
“History Man” is the next song that follows. The song’s intro is a nice and steady drumbeat. The character in the song doesn’t want to do the same thing as before or history repeats itself so decides to make sure that he has reinforced what he has already said (” You have heard it all before and you’ll hear it all again. The instrumentation was so fantastic and that mini-guitar solo was the climax of the already-perfect song
Next is a song called “Reaper”. The intro of this song is some dramatic sounds, and then the tempo changes. The song talks about the inevitability of death (”everyone must die”). That electric guitar was just jaw-dropping good! What an unexpected surprise. The song will take on a delicious voyage
“Wanna fall in love”. This song has a very beautiful intro. The song talks about how sometimes it just feels right when you meet the right person (“then it feels right”). This is a foot-tapping song, this is yet another song that will be even more awesome when heard live!!
The last song on the record is called “Open Up”. The tambourine sound is what you hear first when you start the song, a guitar riff is added to it later. The song talks about a character who has closed off him or herself completely (“Take off your cloak”). Granted that it is a coping mechanism and a way to protect ourselves from being hurt, the song urges listeners that sometimes it is okay to open up a little. We applaud the band for sharing this insightful song. There could have been no other song to end the album with because this was the perfect choice. Kudos to the band
The album’s overarching ethos revolves around creating powerful, memorable songs that resonate with audiences and stand the test of time, aiming to bring joy and introspection to all who listen. With themes of loss, existential musings, and a touch of dark humor, ‘The Daytime High’ offers a sonic journey that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
The album’s overarching ethos revolves around creating powerful, memorable songs that resonate with audiences and stand the test of time, aiming to bring joy and introspection to all who listen. With themes of loss, existential musings, and a touch of dark humor, ‘The Daytime High’ offers a sonic journey that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
The overall philosophy of the album was to write songs that are strong, memorable, and enduring, with the goal of inspiring happiness and reflection in everyone who hears them and I can say without a dog without a doubt that they achieved this goal With existential reflections, themes of loss, and a dash of black humor, ‘The Daytime High’ provides an emotionally stirring and thought-provoking musical trip. The Band is very talented and I can’t wait to hear more music from them
Stream “The Daytime High” album on Spotify
Follow The Daytime High here for more information
