Teenage Rock Gods

Listening to Gone By Daylight's 2005 record "Love Grooves" for the first time you can't help but think that Blink-182 influenced these boys in a big way. The pop-punk catchiness and the lyrics about love, lust, and broken hearts seem trite on the first listen, a pity because the true strength of the album lies in the band's ability to quilt songs from different types of rock including pop-punk. But behind the catchiness is a depth of songwriting that can only be found in a band that knows its music history. The seemingly simple blues guitar sound in a live set or the crackling riff that finishes off "Girl Without A Soul" are rock staples that harken back to the kings of blues (Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson) whose music influenced the guitar gods (Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page) whose influence, in turn, can be heard in the music of Gone By Daylight.

The most endearing thing about Gone By Daylight isn't their ability to craft these songs that are so comfortable (like your favorite jeans!) No, the thing that really makes you love these boys is their ability to carry this history lesson live, and make it incredibly fun to participate in. Live Gone By Daylight not only pays homage to rock gods, but also to all the kids who ever wanted (are wanting now) to be rock stars when they grow up. There's something about these guys that instantly makes you think of the 10 year old doing Pete Townshend windmills in his bedroom mirror and every 14 year old boy who ever said to himself 'what would Eddie Van Halen do?' These things make Gone By Daylight a fun band live and I'm sure an excellent party band. They have the humor and the class to match their stage antics and a knowledge of music history that adds depth to their songs, plus who doesn't like a little old-school rock charm mixed with their punk? It makes live shows that much more interesting.