Review by Dom Vigil
Sunnyland is the perfect album to jumpstart your summer. Nostalgic, catchy, a little bittersweet and incredibly emotional, the sixth studio album from Mayday Parade packs a punch and hits you right in the heart.
The main driving force behind Sunnyland is the powerful lyrical content, and for long-time fans of Mayday Parade, this won’t come as a surprise. Thirteen years in, and it seems that the band is still finding ways to blow you away with vulnerable one-liners and metaphors that touch your heart. Because the album isn’t confined to one specific topic, it’s very easily relatable as well.
Opening Sunnyland is with a bang is “Never Sure,” a tack that feels like a perfect continuation of the band’s previous material. “Never Sure” is followed by the high energy anthem, “It’s Hard To Be Religious When Certain People Are Never Incinerated By Bolts Of Lightning,” which will quickly become a fan favorite for those who have drifted apart from bad friends (the line, “Everybody knows what a selfish prick you’ve become” is a stand-out.) Other strong tracks include “Piece Of Your Heart,” a stripped-down emotional love song that hosts the line, “I’ve got a piece of your heart / But I want the whole damn thing” and “Where You Are,” which feels like a continuation of “Piece Of Your Heart,” especially in lines like, “My favorite place is wherever you are / But I don’t know where you are.”
The lyrics are just one of Sunnyland’s strengths, though. As a whole, the album is very diverse, with aggressive songs like “Is Nowhere” sandwiched between two mellow songs, “Piece Of Your Heart” and “Take My Breath Away.” One of the most energetic songs on the album, “How Do You Like Me Now,” also sits nicely alongside “Where You Are.” With each track, Mayday Parade manage to keep you on your toes, meaning you’ll never feel bored when listening to the album, even when it eventually winds down with the mellow “Always Leaving” and the nostalgic final track, “Sunnyland.”
Mayday Parade have never followed the trends when it comes to their songwriting, and it definitely shows on Sunnyland. The band’s nostalgic sound on this release is still built on the foundation that they made over a decade ago – they’ve just grown as artists, songwriters and people since then. Simply put, Sunnyland has everything that makes for a strong Mayday Parade album. They’re still writing with their hearts and it shows.
LISTEN TO: “It’s Hard To Be Religious When Certain People Are Never Incinerated By Bolts Of Lightning” or “Piece Of Your Heart”
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