Sound the Alarm (Saves the Day album)

Sound the Alarm
Studio album by Saves the Day
Released April 11, 2006
Recorded August–October 2005
Studio Electric Ladybug Studios
Genre
Length 35:11
Label Vagrant
Producer Steve Evetts
Saves the Day chronology
Ups & Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides
(2004)Ups & Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides2004		 Sound the Alarm
(2006)		 Under the Boards
(2007)Under the Boards2007

Sound the Alarm is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Saves the Day. After signing to major label DreamWorks Records, the band released In Reverie in late 2003. However, shortly afterwards DreamWorks Records was absorbed by Interscope Records, resulting the band being dropped from label. Following a line-up change, the band started working on Sound the Alarm. While self-funding the sessions, the band worked with Steve Evetts at their own studio, Electric Ladybug Studios. In early January the band re-signed with independent label Vagrant Records.

Sound the Alarm is the first album of a conceptual trilogy, followed by Under the Boards and Daybreak. Chris Conley said that "Sound the Alarm is an expression of discontent. Under the Boards is reflection and remorse. Daybreak is acceptance." Conley also said about the three-album concept: "The whole trilogy was just a bit of a therapeutic experiment. I felt like all twisted up and broken inside and just angry and confused and depressed and sad and I couldn’t really deal with the world or myself. So I was just like ′this has got to end, I have to at least try and get a grip on the world and on myself′. So I dove into the depths of my mind and brought out what I was finding, so the first album was filled with all the anger, the surface pain, and all the paranoid delusional thoughts that were there. The second album, Under the Boards, dealt with how all of that was making my life unbearable, and I realized I had to change, so that album was the transitional part, starting to transition out of that dark place, because you realize how it's affecting your life. So Daybreak is coming to terms with everything and trying to understand why I actually got that way and learning to accept it by exploring what it is and why it was there and simultaneously trying to grow through it and be a better person, not purely full of anger."

After touring with Circa Survive and Moneen in spring 2006, Sound the Alarm was released in April. The album's release was preceded by the stream of two songs: "The End" and "Shattered". The band performed as part Warped Tour, before going on to tour with I Am the Avalanche, Pistolita and Say Anything. Sound the Alarm has received mixed to positive reviews, and has since sold over 49,000 copies. The album peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 4 on the Independent Albums chart.

Background

In 2003, Saves the Day signed to major label DreamWorks Records.[1] In Reverie was released in September of that year through the label.[2] Frontman Chris Conley received a call from the band's A&R person at DreamWorks Records: "[H]e said, 'None of the programmers at radio are biting at the single, and MTV doesn't want to play the video, so we're going have to start thinking about the next record.' I had a total breakdown. I was like, 'How is this possible? The album just came out!'"[3] A few weeks after the album's release, DreamWorks Records was absorbed by Interscope Records and not long after, the band were dropped from the label.[3] Using all the money they had, the group decided to build their own studio. Conley explained: "if we have a place to make cheap records, we can keep the band going for years."[3] In May 2005, AbsolutePunk reported that the band would be releasing a new album later in the year.[4]

Before they began working on new material, Conley was self-doubting himself.[3] He "completely lost faith in myself" following the lack of success with In Reverie, "when that happened, a chamber got opened up inside me, a vault of seething despair."[3] Sometime after, Conley locked himself in a room, forcing himself to write new material.[3] Conley explained that "all of a sudden, the shit storm came. And there was plenty of material -- just frustration and rage and desperation, just the fear of losing everything."[3] Following the completion of new songs in February 2005, the group planned to start recording in May, with a projected fall release for the new album.[5] Prior to the recording sessions, bassist Eben D'Amico was replaced by Glassjaw bassist Manuel Carrero,[3] who Conley had met through playing shows with Glassjaw.[6] Conley reasoned D'Amico was not on the "same page creatively" as him, guitarist David Soloway, and drummer Pete Parada.[6]

Recording

On August 4, 2005, the band began pre-production, and the following day were "now in full swing, blazing through songs in rehearsal" in preparation for recording.[7] By this point, the group had 18 songs, aiming to record 14 of them. The group called this material "short and fast and angry", naming several songs they were working on: "Head for the Hills", "Sound the Alarm", "Diseased" and "Eulogy".[7] The recording sessions for Sound the Alarm was self-funded by the band,[1] which Conley described as having "stretched us, for sure".[8] He said the band considered themselves "lucky enough to have enough capital" to start recording.[8] Recording took place at their personal studio, Electric Ladybug Studios.[6] Producer duties were handled by Steve Evetts,[1] who also produced the group's first two albums, Can't Slow Down (1998) and Through Being Cool (1999).[7]

The band worked with Evetts again as he could, according to Conley, "see what your qualities are and bring out the best in you".[8] Evetts also engineered the recordings, with assistantace from Jesse Cannon during drum tracking.[9] On August 28, 2005, the band posted a recording update on their website. In the post, Conley mentioned the band had worked on a song titled "Sticky 500" a day prior, before proceeding to work on "Say You'll Never Leave". Conley revealed that he has done "some rough vocals" takes and noted that recording was "moving along pretty quickly now".[10] The band announced they had finished recording on October 19.[11] Mixing was performed by Chad Blinman at The Eye Socket.[9] The album was mastered by Dave Collins at Dave Collins Mastering.[9]

Music and lyrics

All of the songs on the album were written by the band, with Conley providing lyrics.[9] According to Conley, Sound the Alarm details the "furious truth of my aching heart, my tumultuous emotional landscape, and my fractured psyche. Knowing that I needed to turn myself around after nearly destroying myself and my relationships with my strained emotional existence.".[12] Sound the Alarm was named after one of the songs on the album that, according to Conley, "sums up the mood of the record."[6] Describing the theme of the album, Conley said it was "desolation, like you're the last person standing after the apocalypse and you're alone and you're cold. Your home has been obliterated, but you have to keep on trucking through those feelings of isolation and desolation and keep hope alive in the midst of insanity."[8]

Conley described "Head for the Hills" as being "thoughts that creep up and swallow you, and you can't ignore the negative, the hell inside."[3] Conley called "Don't Know Why" as being "my blues. It's one of those songs that keeps me off the ledge personally. I sing it to myself all the time when I'm at home alone."[3] On the album's sound, Conley revealed that the group purposely "kept it simple", relying solely on two guitars, bass and drums, attempting to create "a raw album" in the process.[8] After having recorded the material, Conley referred to it as "quite different" compared to In Reverie.[8] The album's sound has been described as emo,[13][14] pop,[15] and pop punk.[13][16][17]

Release

As soon as the band finished recording, they immediately went on a 47-date tour,[8] alongside Senses Fail, The Early November and Say Anything, lasting from October till December 2005.[18] On January 8, 2006, the band formally announced Carrero as an official member of the group.[19] On January 30, it was announced that the band had re-signed with independent label Vagrant Records. The label had previously released the band's Stay What You Are (2001) and Ups & Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides (2004) albums.[1] The group re-signed with Vagrant Records because they wanted a record label "with backbone, brave enough to work with a band that doesn't give a fuck about radio [or] video airplay."[6] Label boss Rich Egan stated that the band "helped put Vagrant on the map" and that the label was "ecstatic to have them back."[1] On February 13, the track listing and artwork was revealed,[20] which was designed by Soloway.[9]

In March and April, the band went on a tour of the U.S. with support from Circa Survive and Moneen.[21] On March 23, "The End" and "Shattered" were made available for streaming.[22] This was followed by a second leg of the tour with Circa Survive, Moneen[23] and Down to Earth Approach, running into April and May.[24] Sound the Alarm was initially planned for release on April 4,[1] before being released on April 11 through Vagrant Records.[6] The band went on the 2006 edition of Warped Tour.[25] A music video was released for "The End" on July 19 via Punkrockvids.[26] In September, the band went on a brief east coast tour with support from I Am the Avalanche and Pistolita.[27] In November, Conley performed a small number of solo shows across the east coast.[28] In March 2007, Parada left the group and was replaced by Classic Case/Glassjaw drummer Durijah Lang.[29] In April and May, the band went a co-headlining tour with Say Anything.[30]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic64/100[31]
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk89%[16]
AllMusic[13]
Alternative Press[15]
Contactmusic.com4/5[32]
Entertainment WeeklyB [33]
Gigwise[34]
IGN5.4/10[35]
Iowa State Daily3/5[14]
Now3/5[36]
PopMatters[37]

Sound the Alarm reached number 67 on the Billboard 200 chart[38] and number 4 on the Independent Albums chart.[39] By August 2006, the album had sold over 49,000 copies.[40]

Track listing

All songs written by Saves the Day. All lyrics written by Chris Conley.[9]

  1. "Head for the Hills" – 2:50
  2. "The End" – 1:54
  3. "Shattered" – 3:08
  4. "Eulogy" – 3:22
  5. "Dying Day" – 2:21
  6. "34" – 2:22
  7. "Say You'll Never Leave" – 2:20
  8. "Diseased" – 2:12
  9. "Don't Know Why" – 3:22
  10. "Sound the Alarm" – 3:06
  11. "Bones" – 2:23
  12. "Delusional" – 2:07
  13. "Hell Is Here" – 3:36

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[9]

Chart positions

Chart (2006) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[38] 67
US Billboard Independent Albums[39] 4

References

Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Saves The Day sign with Vagrant Records (again)". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. January 30, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ Sciarretto 2003, p. 5
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Smith, Dane (April 11, 2006). "Saves the Day Rock Their Paranoia". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "AbsolutePunk.net". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on May 11, 2005. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  5. ↑ Roth, Kaj (February 22, 2005). "New album with Saves The Day later this year". Melodic. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Herbel, Brandon (March 24, 2006). "Saves The Day - 03.24.06 - Interview". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on August 27, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 Roth, Kaj (August 5, 2005). "Saves the day studio report and new collection coming up". Melodic. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Harris, Chris (October 27, 2005). "Saves The Day Don't Want To Be Like Fall Out Boy". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sound the Alarm (Booklet). Saves the Day. Vagrant/Hassle. 2006. VRUK035CD.
  10. ↑ Paul, Aubin (August 28, 2005). "Saves The Day posts recording update; promises “The Beatles from Hell”". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  11. ↑ Paul, Aubin (October 19, 2005). "Saves the Day completes recording". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ Verducci, Richard (January 6, 2012). "Chris Conley (Saves the Day)". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 Apar, Corey. "Sound the Alarm - Saves the Day : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Barrett, Tyler (April 13, 2006). "CD REVIEW: Saves the Day". Iowa State Daily. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  15. 1 2 Heisel, Scott (May 31, 2006). "Alt Press | Review | Saves The Day - Sound the Alarm". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Tate, Jason (March 10, 2006). "Saves the Day - Sound the Alarm - Album Review". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  17. ↑ Ryan, Kyle (October 30, 2007). "Under The Boards · Saves The Day · Music Review Saves The Day: Under The Boards · Music Review". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  18. ↑ Paul, Aubin (August 12, 2005). "Saves the Day touring with Senses Fail, the Early November, Say Anything". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  19. ↑ Paul, Aubin (January 8, 2006). "Saves The Day adds second leg of tour, bassist". Punknews.org. Aubin Paul. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Saves The Day reveal tracklistings for new LP, acoustic EP". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. February 13, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Saves The Day/Circa Survive/Moneen tour announced". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. January 11, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Vagrant posts new Saves The Day and Moneen songs". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. March 23, 2006. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Second batch of Saves The Day/Circa Survive/Moneen dates". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. January 18, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  24. ↑ Foucart, Jon (February 13, 2006). "Down To Earth Approach Added To Some STD Dates". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  25. ↑ Robertson, Jessica (March 10, 2006). "Joan Jett Leads Warped Tour". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  26. ↑ Press, Garrett (July 19, 2006). "Saves The Day News - News Articles". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on August 23, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Saves The Day announce shows with I Am The Avalanche". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. August 16, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Chris Conley of Saves The Day announces solo shows". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. September 18, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  29. ↑ Wilson, MacKenzie. "Saves the Day | Biography & History". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  30. ↑ Staff (March 27, 2007). "For The Record: Quick News On Justin Timberlake, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Eminem & More". MTV. Viacom. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Critic Reviews for Sound the Alarm". Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  32. ↑ Adair, David (May 22, 2006). "Saves The Day | Sound The Alarm Album Review". Contactmusic. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  33. ↑ Greenblatt, Leah (April 10, 2006). "Sound the Alarm Review | Music Reviews and News". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  34. ↑ Renshaw, David (May 8, 2006). "Saves The Day - 'Sound The Alarm' (Vagrant) 01/05/06". Gigwise. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  35. ↑ Grischow, Chad (April 11, 2006). "Saves The Day - Sound The Alarm". IGN. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  36. ↑ Davies, Evan. "Saves the Day - Sound the Alarm". Now. Now Communications. Archived from the original on April 18, 2006. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  37. ↑ Raper, Dan (May 31, 2006). "Saves the Day: Sound the Alarm". PopMatters. PopMatters Media, Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  38. 1 2 "Saves the Day - Chart history (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  39. 1 2 "Saves the Day - Chart history (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  40. ↑ Kohli, Rohan (August 10, 2006). "Soundscan Results: Week Ending August 6th, 2006". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
Sources
  • Sciarretto, Amy (Sep 22, 2003). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. 77 (832). 
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