South Californian band Dayseeker has digitally released their awaited acoustic album Replica on April 19th. It goes without saying that any stripped-down version of a song knows how to hit the heart right where it should, and the 10 singles on Replica are no exception. The renewed material brings a sense of intimacy and allows listeners to rediscover the band in completely new ways.
As the first song ‘Sleeptalk’ starts, we are eased into the music with piano, guitars and Rory Rodriguez’s calm and soft vocals. The original version is known to be explosive, with emotionally gripping lyrics, and although this rendition is stripped of electric guitars and energetic drums, the impact feels just as grand. Beautiful background harmonies and instrumental melodies work together to make you feel like you’re floating around, still aware of the impactful lyrics.
‘Without Me’, one of Dayseeker’s well-liked singles from their recent album Dark Sun, also wraps its arms around you with as many mixed feelings as the previous song. Joined by Amber DeLaRosa (Moxy The Band), the vocal duo dialogues beautifully, evocating the lyrics. It is almost as if you could picture their voices twirling around in an emotional waltz.
What’s most interesting about some of these songs is that you can distinctly pick up sonorous elements from previous albums. ‘Neon Grave’, the third song on the record, clearly includes aspects of Dark Sun, notably in recognizable 80s instruments in the first verse, which ties things nicely. ‘Homesick’, which comes later in the album, also reminds you of that atmosphere with synths and distant electric guitars. Even though the song is meant to be stripped-down and gentler, Rodriguez delivers very distinctive raspy vocals with a heavy emotional charge, especially in the chorus.
If you had the chance to see Dayseeker perform live on their most recent European tour, you might have had the early privilege of hearing this fourth song. Alongside Lucas Woodland (Holding Absence), the group delivers a heart-breaking performance of ‘Starving To Be Empty’. What is always appreciated in such versions of songs is the attention given to vocals and, in this case, both singers’ abilities are beautifully showcased.
On the album, songs like ‘Homesick’ or ‘Crying While You’re Dancing’ sound even more melodic than their original interpretations and it is a good way of revisiting the slower songs from the previous record.
Number seven is a rendition of one of Dayseeker’s hits ‘Burial Plot’ and was released when the band announced the new album. Joined by Caleb Shomo (Beartooth), the band strips the song down to its essentials and emotional essence. This gorgeous version is the perfect mix of floaty instrumental and simple yet high-impact vocals.
One of Dayseeker’s forte is emotional lyrics. Some, if not most of their songs, have heart-wrenching texts that will grab you by the guts as you listen. If you have heard the original version of ‘Drunk’, you would think it would be hard to make this song hit even harder, and you would be wrong. The piano amplifies the feeling of despair you can hear in Rory’s voice and as soon as the first chorus hits, a bass pulls at your heartstrings and the entire ambience of the single feels like both a pressure hug and a bitter feeling in one.
‘Afterglow’ comes second to last and is one of the very few more upbeat and happy songs on the record. Rodriguez dedicated this song to his daughter, Hazel, and it is a gorgeous message delivered in an even sweeter fashion than its first rendition. “A quiet song that I could sing to keep you calm” illustrates perfectly what it feels like to listen to it.
To close off, the band hands us a gorgeously executed cover of ‘My Immortal’ by Evanescence. Once again, the vocal delivery and the simplicity of the guitars and background sonorous atmosphere capture the soul of Evanescence’s original song in a very delicate way, all while adding the now recognizable Dayseeker sound.
Overall, Replica feels as if you are listening to their music while floating in a bubble. It is warm, comfortable, yet sentimental. Dayseeker’s ability to hand out entirely new renditions of familiar singles, accompanied by multiple other talented artists, highlights their need to reinvent their sound and explore the multitude of possibilities these songs have to offer.
After recently touring as support of Pierce The Veil alongside Holding Absence in Europe and the UK, the band is embarking on a headline US tour with Polaris, Rain City Drive, Avoid and Ayron Jones. At the end of the year, they will come back to Europe with their headline tour as well. You can find all the information about the tours on their site here!
Written by: Noah F.
Edited by: Ilse Muis
