The band Carrier gets formed at the end of the last song of their debut album. Until then, it’s sort of speculative: on When New York Is Drowning, frontman Adam Downer is busy doing other stuff, like stressing the fuck out. He’s watching debt build up, firefighting the end of a relationship and having autopilot anxiety about climate change. At so many points on so many songs, he floats a solution: start a band, maybe? Write a smash hit? They’re expressed in Downer’s lyrics, echoing through the album as if this is something he’s been threatening to do for years. By the end of the record, it’s done.

Inadvertently ten years in the making, the bulk of Carrier’s songs come straight out of Downer’s twenties, back when he was living in Amsterdam. Back then, he was leaning into the louder, more aggressive side of things. Swaying between pop-punk and indie rock extremes - from the gang vocal harmonies of Bomb The Music Industry! to the two-chord speedruns of Japandroids - he was all about the bombast. 

That’s heard on Carrier’s “Bitter Child”, a song so immediate that it pretty much exists in a state of collapse, its quick and cathartic riff drowning under layers of triumphant fuzz. It’s been the single for as long as he’s known, always “the song that would launch the hypothetical band.” It’s now what he calls a “thesis statement” for Carrier’s debut album When New York Is Drowning, staying on the rails of pop-punk and embracing its cliches while having the experience of time to know where things are going, and what actually counts for shit. It absolutely sounds like the song you start a band for. 

There’s more than a little genre contradiction going on within Carrier. With jazz aficionado Bart Mol on guitar, young, hard rock advocate Skye Matlock on bass, and an alt-rock-loving drummer in Greg Russo, When New York Is Drowning plays with clashing textures, delving into Pixies-esque doldrums on “Little Fish” and ocean-soaked melancholy on the title track, but where the band comes together best is in the anthem of it all. It’s those moments of pop-punk solidarity - they trade lines and sing parts like these are their favorite songs.

“The album is about looking back at yourself, and almost finding a use for the music you’ve grown out of”, Downer says. Though the songs on Carrier’s debut album are old, part of Downer’s past, they’re still his. Rather than block it out, When New York Is Drowning celebrates the naivety and fervor of our past selves, and the ritual of making something big of the way we feel.

- Robin Smith

Someone Who Loves Me

Fire Sale

A song about a night out on the town that potentially could have been your last..

TOO LONG (Unreleased Rough Mix for Application)

All Songs written and performed by Lockjaw
Produced by Chris Collier
2023 620 Records™  All Rights Reserved © LJ001-2203

Release Me -

NINE

CONTACT:
thisdaym@gmail.com
@thisdaym
916.295.8363

CREDITS:
Written and produced by Daym
DJ sampling and additional writing by Champagne B
Drums by Will Useman
Drums engineered by Sam Madill
Mixed and mastered by Kevin McCombs

LYRICS:
Nine lives with the bass to make you move
Last round of the rest of my life
I see you coming from the side stanced up like a boss fight
But I can Super smash bro
Black belt in Nintendo
Busting up the dry wall
Activate Kyle mode
You keep looking at me
When you're full of shhh
But you're brain's so hollow
You keep looking at me
You keep looking at me when

I've got Nine
Lives so you never wanna fight me
Come bite cuz I'm coming from the three six Nine
Reasons why I'll never take it lightly
Say it to my face and say it nicely
Choke me till the words come out
Bleed into my open mouth
Make me waste lives that you take away
Cuz I've got Nine

I'm that kitty kitty with the reflex
Bricked up karma cash checks with my rejects
But I see the good in everybody
Confide in pride vilified I forgive the ones who never loved me
But I always hit it pererro cuz my is feral
Check one two cuz I'm messing up the tempo
Crush cans woodstock on my shirt
KMA Motorcross through the dirt
Let's have a kiki were my friends at
Love to my shes theys and gays in the mosh pit
You keep looking at me
When you're full of shhh
But you're brain's so hollow
You keep looking at me
You keep looking at me when

I've got Nine
Lives so you never wanna fight me
Come bite cuz I'm coming from the three six Nine
Reasons why I'll never take it lightly
Say it to my face and say it nicely
Choke me till the words come out
Bleed into my open mouth
Make me waste lives that you take away
Cuz I've got Nine

09.09.23 NINE

Ever been caught in that moment when your heart says one thing, but your head says another? "Miles Away" by Such a Daze is the soundtrack to that emotional rollercoaster. This song combines a gripping dark backstory with a feel-good summer vibe in both its lyrics and arrangement, making it a relatable journey through the complexities of love, longing, and the quest for personal growth.

The story behind "Miles Away" is a personal one, driven by the band's lead vocalist, Cedric Daze. Cedric wanted the song to have depth, and so he drew from real-life experiences to create the lyrical narrative. The lines, "Is it you that runs, or me that wants to stay," echo the age-old dilemma of whether to hold on or let go.

Picture this: You're on the verge of leaving your hometown, chasing dreams and opportunities, but your partner begs you to stay, asking, "Are you leaving or are you running?" It's a tug-of-war between love and ambition, and the lyrics paint this emotional battle vividly.

But what makes "Miles Away" stand out is its ability to mix these heavy emotions with an upbeat, summer-infused musical arrangement. The band crafted the music to feel like a warm, carefree summer's day, creating a beautiful contrast with the song's introspective lyrics. It's like the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy day – unexpected and comforting.

The chorus, "Am I far behind, am I miles away," becomes a metaphor for the internal struggle. Staying would mean staying stuck, forever looking back, while leaving promises a chance to move forward. The decision was made, and the singer chose to leave, a leap into the unknown that turned out to be the best choice ever.

"Miles Away" is an emotional rollercoaster with a relatable twist. It captures those moments when we grapple with our hearts and our heads, the push and pull of love and ambition. Such a Daze invites you to dive into this relatable musical journey where love, longing, and liberation intersect, leaving an indelible mark on the soul. It's a song that speaks to all of us who've faced those tough decisions and found the courage to take a leap of faith.

C Burch-Colorblind

Don't Ask Why ENTERTAINMENT

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