Studeo’s album These Are Our Days is one that clearly drives with a pure love for music, honest expression, and performance. The band put songwriting at the forefront of the experience, the musical soundscapes follow suit based on the known strengths of classic rock ballads and other popular genres or set-ups from the past, and this works well in capturing an audience’s affection.
I’m Falling For You is an early highlight and one with just a little more emotion and style than the opener to really draw you in. It works in the way that it should, the whole thing has been crafted with care, contrast has been cleverly utilized so as to make certain the bigger moments sweep you off your feet a little.
The album’s title track falls into place with acoustic delicacy and reminds you of the personal touch behind the project – the heartfelt honesty of the writing, and again, that inherent connection to the music. The song builds up slowly but surely and the emotion intensifies effectively. Tomorrow Is a Brand New Day follows and brings a little swagger and style back, with a great sense of rhythm. Always Studeo write songs that inspire optimism and possibility, but they do so without shying away from personal turmoil or truthfulness when necessary, which adds a lot of realism and subsequent value.
This Time is a personal highlight for its Americana aura and this kind of tired rock ballad, late night drive feel that it presents. The descending melody throughout the verses lets the lyrics and the story-line captivate effectively. Again, the writing carefully balances observational and reflective ideas, keeping you entertained but also letting you feel connected to the artists behind the project. Afterwards, Our Perfect Place To Be is a song that takes its time to grab you, but inevitably does – mainly for its cosy, sitting-by-the-fire, slightly seasonal vibe.
During the album’s latter half, Don’t Say Goodbye is a stand out moment for its rhythmic and slightly gritty vocal delivery, and the use of a mildly distorted guitar section. The switch to the hook works beautifully and helps give the song something of a classic Blondie aura. A definite highlight from the whole album. Anymore follows and mellows the groove as a thoughtful, personal and intimate song emerges. Arrangement-wise this works well right where it is, the spaciousness and the emotion offer something a little different at this point.
At the penultimate moment, Island Paradise brings through a string of ideas relating to the passing of time and that balance again between struggle and success, sadness and joy. Then to bring things to a finish, Even Misery returns to the classic, driving ballad, soft rock set-up and paints an atmospheric ambiance around you. The chord progression and the melody here, even the vocal emotion – all of this works in unison to portray the song’s central truth in a manner that’s very easy to connect with. The sound appeals, the words speak to the soul, and as the track builds – things grow more and more immersive and powerful. It’s a subtle but beautiful song, a brilliant way to end the album and a definite final highlight of the whole release. Something about the progression of it throughout, combined with the general vibe and the thoughts expressed, really works well in keeping you involved.
Download the album via Bongo Boy Records. Find & follow Studeo on Twitter.
