Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

I was unsure how to approach a review of Night Kills the Day.  Their album, The Study of Man, takes me outside my familiar realm of metal, stripping me of a comfortable musical frame of reference.  Still, it is an album that should not be ignored.  There is something haunting and beautiful about their compositions.  It has a feel of The Cure, with a touch of U2, crafting their dark influences into a pop rock sound that works.

The Band formed when Luke Brian reconnected with lifelong friend Timothy Falzone just after Luke saw his cousin perish in the terrorist attacks of September 11.  The two found comfort and healing in creating original music.  Partnering up, the duo listened to everything from Depeche Mode to the Deftones.  They drew strength and support from each other in their trusting relationship.  Luke and Timothy kept their weekends free for songwriting, rehearsals and shows.  Before long, their band took shape and later took hold of NYC.

Night Kills the Day is a very unique band that draws upon dark and doom filled sounds, and then molds those dark moods into something that is quite entertaining.  Their debut album, The Study of Man, offers up a twisting journey into gloom rock with hints of The Cure and The Doors.  But through the obvious connections to such bands, Night Kills the Day manages to stand apart.  With Izzy Lugo’s moody guitar, Timothy’s droning bass, Roger Benton’s drumming, and Luke Brian’s vocals, Night Kills the Day is not a band that you will soon forget.  The short 35-minute album has an infectious sound that will lull the listener, and then tug at the heartstrings.

The album opens with After Hours, which can only be described as a long, gloomy journey. It is a song that left me quiet and introspective.  The album continues with the obviously “Cult” influenced Rainbows in NYC.  Dive, is next on the album, a track that has a different feel and soul than the first two.  This song was picked as the first single, but frankly, I think there are some better choices.  Pornographic and No Evolution clearly stand out as single-worthy.  Night Kills the Day brings something new to the musical table.  They have a unique ability to call upon their variety of influences, filter them, and reconstruct the whole thing into rock that is dark and moody, yet with Pop leanings. 

While The Study of Man  is a good album, my only real complaint is that the vocals aren't as well developed as they could be.  I am hoping that this is just a new band trait and that the vocals will develop with time.  If you are looking to expand your music collection though and you don't mind the downbeat mood, taking the journey laid out in The Study of Man has its rewards.  And if you are like me, it'll leave you asking for more.

I was unsure how to approach a review of Night Kills the Day.  Their album, The Study of Man, takes me outside my familiar realm of metal, stripping me of a comfortable musical frame of reference.  Still, it is an album that should not be ignored.  There is something haunting and beautiful about their compositions.  It has a feel of The Cure, with a touch of U2, crafting their dark influences into a pop rock sound that works.

The Band formed when Luke Brian reconnected with lifelong friend Timothy Falzone just after Luke saw his cousin perish in the terrorist attacks of September 11.  The two found comfort and healing in creating original music.  Partnering up, the duo listened to everything from Depeche Mode to the Deftones.  They drew strength and support from each other in their trusting relationship.  Luke and Timothy kept their weekends free for songwriting, rehearsals and shows.  Before long, their band took shape and later took hold of NYC.

Night Kills the Day is a very unique band that draws upon dark and doom filled sounds, and then molds those dark moods into something that is quite entertaining.  Their debut album, The Study of Man, offers up a twisting journey into gloom rock with hints of The Cure and The Doors.  But through the obvious connections to such bands, Night Kills the Day manages to stand apart.  With Izzy Lugo’s moody guitar, Timothy’s droning bass, Roger Benton’s drumming, and Luke Brian’s vocals, Night Kills the Day is not a band that you will soon forget.  The short 35-minute album has an infectious sound that will lull the listener, and then tug at the heartstrings.

The album opens with After Hours, which can only be described as a long, gloomy journey. It is a song that left me quiet and introspective.  The album continues with the obviously “Cult” influenced Rainbows in NYC.  Dive, is next on the album, a track that has a different feel and soul than the first two.  This song was picked as the first single, but frankly, I think there are some better choices.  Pornographic and No Evolution clearly stand out as single-worthy.  Night Kills the Day brings something new to the musical table.  They have a unique ability to call upon their variety of influences, filter them, and reconstruct the whole thing into rock that is dark and moody, yet with Pop leanings. 

While The Study of Man  is a good album, my only real complaint is that the vocals aren't as well developed as they could be.  I am hoping that this is just a new band trait and that the vocals will develop with time.  If you are looking to expand your music collection though and you don't mind the downbeat mood, taking the journey laid out in The Study of Man has its rewards.  And if you are like me, it'll leave you asking for more.