In press statements, the members of Tallahassee quintet
Mayday Parade hinted that
Anywhere But Here would have been a very different album if it were not recorded for Atlantic Records, and so, for their self-titled 2011 album, they switched to Independent Label Group with the hopes of preserving their creative vision. Strangely though,
Mayday Parade isn’t all that different from
Anywhere But Here. The most notable change is that the songs on their third outing were written solely by the band. However, with the same production team behind their sound, the same bouncy four-chord blueprint, and the same prevalence for soft verses vs. loud choruses, the changes behind the curtain are barely noticeable. It does seem that the band is more aggressive and Derek Sanders is more heartfelt with his delivery, which is a major selling point for the group. It sounds as if the singer is genuinely filled with regret and resentment, and in the world of emo, that’s what really counts. ~ Jason Lymangrover