A Day to Remember | You’re Welcome Review

By Griff Stevens

A Day to Remember is a metalcore band from Ocala, Florida, that combines metalcore and pop-punk. A Day to Remember was founded in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs and is rounded out by vocalist Jeremy McKinnon, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Neil Westfall, bassist Joshua Woodard, percussion and drummer Alex Shelnutt, and lead guitarist Kevin Skaff. In 2005, the band signed with Indianola for their first album, And Their Name Was Treason, with Scruggs being replaced by Shelnutt in 2006. Their sophomore release, For Those Who Have Heart (2007), was released on Victory. They embarked on several tours of the U.K. and the U.S. and played at several festivals before recording and releasing their third album, Homesick (2009). On the Homesick tour, Denney was replaced by Skaff. Soon after releasing their next album, What Separates Me from You (2010), the band was involved in a lawsuit with Victory over their recording contract, which was settled in October 2013. The band released their fifth album, Common Courtesy (2013), in the same month. On March 5, 2021, the band released their seventh studio album, You’re Welcome, and it is the band’s first release under the major label Fueled by Ramen. The album is also the first new release by the band in five years, marking the longest gap between two albums in their entire career, and was produced by Colin Brittain and vocalist Jeremy McKinnon.

“Mindreader” has a catchy pop/hard rock mixed with metalcore sounds that features McKinnon’s strong vocals and energetic style. The textures and the band’s tightness are at the core the foundation of the song’s appeal, nothing profound, just a catchy tune. The songwriting is predictable and an effective expression of the song’s motif. Most of “Mindreader” merges into a broad cloud of alternative-rock with an upbeat overtone.

“Resentment” has an influence of EDM merged with moments of metalcore. McKinnon sounds strong on this song, and his energy is conveyed with authority. The songwriting is still very predictable; club touchstones add to the album’s overall flow—the rhythmic activity, vocal color changes, and vocal harmonies, which subtly expands the song’s dimensions. The metalcore elements of dirty guitars and guttural sounds are finally heard at the midpoint before returning to the more pop-rock and EDM sounds.

You’re Welcome as a whole does not conjure something distinctive; a Day to Remember builds more than a mood, but it feels like a glimpse of a unique perspective of great things to come rather than a full-fledged concept. It is unclear whether these flashes are something the band will embark upon more in the future with a more intentional project. For now, You’re Welcome is a collection of songs that will keep us fans wanting more while enjoying a very safe sound from A Day to Remember.