SoCal’s own Dayseeker have released their new album, Dark Sun! It is the follow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed Sleeptalk, which has obtained over 150 million streams so far! With Dark Sun, their sound takes a significant turn to the pop world yet doesn’t stray too far away from their Dayseeker roots.
Whether it’s Rory Rodriguez’s massive vocal range or the band’s great songwriting, it’s definitely a Dayseeker moment right now!
This new album focuses on vulnerability and heartache, offering a view into lead singer Rory Rodriguez's personal life. As said on a statement on Dayseekers Instagram, “This is in honor of the late Dennis Rodriguiz and was written for anyone who needs solace during the hardest times of their lives.” Regarding the deeply personal and contemplative album, Rory explains, “Dark Sun is a collection of songs that deeply explored my personal life over the last two years. Most of it is written about my father’s passing, about how it felt like the sun burned out the day he passed, and how the world is a little darker without him in it.”
My personal favorite off this album is the opener, ‘Dreamstate.’ The song is about Rory’s experiences in dreaming about his father, who passed away last July. While he was dreaming, there was this feeling like they were communicating “It was a beautiful thing to experience on one hand… but also very heartbreaking and disorienting with my sense of reality on the other,” explained Rory. This song really hits me because when my grandfather (who was my father figure) first passed away I would also have these dreams about him where it was like we were talking in real life. I think Dreamstate is the perfect album opener because it sets the tone for the whole thing. The sound of the album as a whole is very dream-like to me. They were able to take on these darker topics and create songs that give off a softer, warmer, and more comforting vibe.
The way Dayseeker manages to channel emotions without sounding cliché or redundant is mad impressive.
‘Without Me’ is about an old relationship that died and how it begged the question, “How do you feel the same without me?” ‘Quicksand’ includes Spencer Stewart from The Band Camino for a verse which complements the track’s more naturalistic tone perfectly. Spencer adds a deeper yet still smooth contrast to Rory’s higher cleans.
Dark Sun is the completed transition from metalcore to a more synthy, pop, hardcore vibe that Dayseeker began with 2019’s Sleeptalk. There are still pieces of post-hardcore moments throughout this album, but for the most part it is a pop record with immaculate vibes. Though a great portion of Dark Sun deals with heavy and intensely personal subject matter in the form of the passing of Rodriguez’ father, the way it is presented vocally and instrumentally makes it comforting and relatable
Dayseeker is currently on tour with Bad Omens, Make Them Suffer, and Thousand Below. They’ve painted that poster red so hopefully you got your tickets when you could!
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