Album Review: A Day To Remember's Big Ole Album Vol. 1

When A Day To Remember released "Miracle" in 2022, I was optimistic that whatever the future was for the band post "You’re Welcome" they were headed in a positive direction. We had a few years of radio silence besides a remastering of their second studio album, and then they dropped "Feedback". And to be completely honest this track made me feel extremely disappointed and not at all hyped for whatever release was just around the corner. But then they went ahead and dropped the duology of "Make It Make Sense" and "Lebron". And it left me puzzled and in a tough spot. All I could think was “If this new album is more Feedback than Lebron or Miracle then I’m going to hate this album” But with all that said I am happy to say that Big Ole Album Vol. 1 is mostly solid and is most definitely more "Lebron" than "Feedback". If there’s anything that defines a great A Day To Remember song is big choruses and here, they have those spades here. Nearly every song here has some sort of catchy repeatable hook that has been rotating through my head these last few weeks. The notable standouts here are "Flowers", which feels like its ripped right off of "Common Courtesy" (My personal favorite album), with a powerful message of letting your loved ones know you love them while you have the time. As well as "Closer Than You Think", which is an upbeat pop-punk anthem that really speaks to the hurt that we can feel and finding comfort in the people we love. Other highlights that I recommend are "Miracle", "All My Friends", and "Lebron". The only 2 songs that I feel are misses are of course the previously mentioned "Feedback" which just completely feels like it’s in the wrong album. While sometimes I think the chorus is somewhat catchy, I really dislike everything else, as it feels like the worst attempt at a butt rock song that tries too hard. And the other is "Silence". While I fundamentally enjoy the song it’s just not what I come to an A Day To Remember album for. It feels extremely reminiscent of Gojira, a French metal band, that I somewhat enjoy, but here it’s just not what I’m wanting. If I disconnect myself from the idea that it’s an A Day To Remember song I will probably end up liking it more over time but for now it goes against the album as a whole.

Overall, the album is solid and exceeded my expectations for what I was wanting from this band after a long hiatus. The lyrical content has evolved with them. It seems while keeping the same core style of music that made them who they are, while also being able to branch out and experiment in ways work and some that don’t. If I had to give a number score, I’d give it an 8/10. Most of what’s here works extremely well for me and will be added to my daily rotation.  While it’s not in contention for my album of the year it certainly is very enjoyable and with it being labeled as “Vol. 1” I hope we see more from them sooner rather than later.