Approaching their tenth year together, Moon Taxi continue to impress with their energetic shows and catchy, upbeat music. Their fourth studio release, Daybreaker, only furthers the band’s creative prowess, drawing in listeners with their soulful blend of rock and roll. Due out this Friday, October 2nd, Daybreaker is a can’t miss listen in a year that has been filled with great music.
The Nashville-based five-piece continue to gain fans with every performance. Coming up with a big debut album, Melodica, in 2007, Moon Taxi quickly gained recognition and found spots on Summer Camp, Hangout, Wakarusa and more. After an album each in 2012 and 2013, the band built up a large repertoire of intoxicating tunes. The band’s music is light on its feet, downright enchanting, and Daybreaker continues that trend with 11 all-new original tracks.
The album’s themes center around love, both lost and found, through soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics. The opening track, “Year Zero”, pulls on the listener with its slow groove. It’s chorus is undeniably catchy, “someday, someday, out of the dark we grow, someday, someday, into the year zero.” It’s the type of refrain that stays with you, especially while surrounded by melodic choruses and heavy chords.
The jumpy “All Day All Night” shows the band’s lighter side, dancing along to an almost-island rhythm. It’s easy to draw parallels between Moon Taxi and My Morning Jacket, each crafting richly accessible music. It’s quite apparent that Moon Taxi’s music is genuine, shining through on the unbridled enthusiasm of tracks like “Savannah”, “Make Your Mind Up”, and “Red Hot Lights” – just to name a few. The whole album is tightly woven.
My personal favorite tune is the finale, “Rooftops”. Trading the electric guitars for acoustics, the lyrics paint a vivid and romantic picture. It’s an emotional, feel-good moment to conclude an impressive album of genuine music. The instrumental work really shines on “Rooftops”, with light guitarwork mimicking delicate brush strokes. Daybreaker concludes with a final refrain, “I spent the night on the rooftop, between the streets and the stars,” leaving us in the middle of fantasy and reality.
Daybreaker is a fine listen and a great piece of music from a talented band. They’ve crafted intricate pop music, creating a thoroughly enjoyable listen from cover to cover. The album comes out this Friday, but pre-orders are available via the band’s website. Check it out!