CD Review: Night Kills the Day - The Study of Man...

Night Kills the Day is a band that draws upon the doom and gloom sound of bands like The Cure, and then mold it into something a little different. Their debut album, The Study of Man..., offers up a layered journey into melodic gloom rock. It has an infectious sound that will lull you in and dig around in your emotional layer for a while. The album is a well produced, easily accessible, collection of original tunes that is well worth spending a little time with.

I am not quite sure how to approach a review of this album. It is outside my normal realm of metal, therefore stripping me of my frame of reference. Still, it is an album that should not be ignored, as there is a beauty to the composition. It has a feel of The Cure, with a touch of U2, a pop album that just really works.

Despite the obvious connections to The Cure or Bauhaus, Night Kills the Day stands apart. The five piece have crafted a mature, and layered experience that has a certain New York feel. A wide breadth of experience in the city they call home, all compiled in a scant 35 minutes of music.

They open with "After Hours," a layered journey to gloominess, mined for a soothing effect. It is followed by the Cult-esque "Rainbows in NYC," a catchy pop song that will catch in your head as it grooves along. That leads into the first single, "Dive," a rocker that is surrounded by different aura than the first two, yet stands as a lead single, giving an idea of the spectrum that Night Kills the Day covers.

This is a band that brings something to the table, a unique vision that calls upon a variety of influences that are filtered through their mind and reconstructed into this gloom rock with some pop sensibilities. It is quite a good album.

The Study of Man... will haunt you even after you hit stop and move onto something else. The four piece have exhibited skill at layering sound and giving depth to the music as it insidiously digs in and takes up residence in your head. It is catchy, moody, melodic, and just overall engaging. From the atmospherics from guitarist Izzy Lugo, to the smooth rhythm section of bassist Timoty Falzone and drummer Roger Benton, to the haunting voice of Luke Brian, Night Kills the Day is not a band that you will soon forget.

Bottomline. Looking to expand your sonic experience? Take the journey laid out on The Study of Man ... It is an easy to listen to excursion into pop and gloom that will leave you thirsting for more.

Recommended.