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By, Jenn Grossman
 * __Under The Boards: CD Review__**

Saves The Day, a four piece pop-punk band from Princeton, New Jersey, has been making music for more than ten years. They’ve released six full-length albums, the most recent being //Under the Boards//. //Under the Boards// was released on October 30th, 2007 on Vagrant Records.

Saves The Day is made up of relatively young men, all in their mid twenties. However, by listening to the lyrics of their older songs, you wouldn’t know it. Lyricist and music genius, Chris Conley, expresses a “wise beyond his years” trait through his music. With poetic lyrics such as “the sky grows bigger every day” and “Leonard looked like a ghost gave him a foot massage,” Conley shows he’s got writing chops. Prior to //Under the Boards//, Saves The Day has gone through numerous member changes, the only original members being Chris Conley and guitarist, David Soloway. Conley, Soloway, and their constantly changing lineup have released five previous albums: //Can’t Slow Down// (1998, Equal Vision), //Through Being Cool// (1999, Equal Vision), //Stay What You Are// (2001, Vagrant), //In Reverie// (2003, DreamWorks), and //Sound the Alarm// (2006, Vagrant.) //Sound the Alarm// was the accidental start of a musical trilogy. //Sound the Alarm// and //Under the Boards// are the first two installments of a trilogy about growth and life. The third installment, //Daybreak//, is set to release some time in 2008.

Compared to previous albums, //Under the Boards// almost falls short. On a beginning note, Conley’s nasally whine that he sang with in //Sound the Alarm// was still in tact. Conley has been notorious for transforming his voice, lyrics and music on every album. However, //Under the Boards// almost shows a regression. Songs such as “Bye-Bye Baby” and “Radio” are attempts to try and get back to pop-punk roots. With catchy guitar riffs and sing-along lyrics, they’re almost like a recreation of 2001’s, //Stay What You Are.// Other songs on the record that are reminiscent to previous work are the single, “Can’t Stay The Same” and “Get F* Up.”

Although the album has it’s upbeat moments, it also has it’s dark and mellow times. It’s almost bipolar. One song’s poppy and catchy, and then the next track will be angsty. The first track, “Under The Boards,” has a darker sound, where Conley sings with a slight mutter. This is an example of the bipolar moments of the album. Right after “Under The Boards” it goes to the second track, “Radio,” which has short catchy guitar riffs and a sing-along chorus. “Radio” is definitely a fan favorite. Other darker songs on the album include “Turning Over In My Tomb,” the album’s closing track, and “When I’m Not There.”

The token acoustic song, “Stay,” is another fan favorite. Conley’s voice practically goes back to the high pitched dreamy sound it once had on //In Reverie//. It’s not my personal favorite, but I do like the song. I like all the songs on the album. However, I don’t think I can say I love any of them.

One thing I have to give Saves The Day credit for is that this is their one album where all the songs don’t sound the same. Yes, every single one of their albums sounds completely different from the other, but every song on that one album has a similar sound. Under The Boards is the one record of theirs where there’s some variety. Due to the variety, I give this album a rating of 3.5 stars. It’s not their best work, but they get an A for effort. I really hate to rate creativity, however.