Unbreakable as an album very much reflects its title- it is as solid as they come.
To quote the opening line of ‘Come For Me’, “there is no escape, no one to keep you safe” from this larger than life, a boundary-melding carton of songs. Layers of haunting vocals echo through the angry guitar chords, the intense drum heartbeat and restless synths across the dozen tracks, fusing pop undertones with the signature gothic metal stylings of New Years Day.
‘Come For Me’ propels you into the album with its intensity and gripping breakdowns, a consistent theme throughout ‘Unbreakable’, but its ‘Missunderstood’ and ‘Skeletons’ that shape the album and show a maturing in their songwriting skills.
‘Unbreakable’ is New Years Days take on Sia’s ‘Chandelier’, with the ascending chorus and stunning harmonic bridge, showcasing the range and textures of Ash Costello voice, a deep contrast to the graveled power behind ‘Done With You’. The pop influences and Gwen Stefani idolisation are evident on ‘Shut Up’, ‘Poltergeist’ and ‘Break My Body’, with drawn back verses and punchy, elevated choruses- a nice break from the intensity of the album. ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, ‘My Monsters’ and ‘Nocturnal’ round out the heaviness of the album and ‘I Survived’ is a fitting end the collective – both lyrically and musically.
While the band has seen multiple line-up changes since their 2005 inception, ‘Unbreakable’ goes to show New Years Day are in-fact unbreakable, coming back stronger than ever.
4/5
Red Music
Reviewed by Tammy Walters