Taken Days

Every Second (2021)

Rose Eden

I’m going to say something I don’t think I’ve ever said before: I like this emo album a lot. Actually I don’t just like it, I freakin’ love it. Catchy, complex, with several dare I say even radio friendly tracks, Every Second by Taken Days in some ways took a while to grow on me, but in other ways I took to it immediately. As ambiguous of a statement that is, it makes more sense after giving the addictive 2021 album a few full plays.

Wiretap Records has found a gem in this Orange County based pop-punk emo band whose clean, upbeat, and driving sound pays homage to the glory days of it all in the mid 2000’s. I may go as far as to say that if I had had this particular album to listen to back then, there’s a high probability I would have given emo as a genre more of a shot from the very beginning.

I’m partial to three piece bands and Taken Days is no exception to my fondness. With recurring themes of imposter syndrome, the circular cycles toxic relationships cause, and dark feelings borne of bad mental health days, Every Second hits from the very first track. “How’d It Come To This” kicks off the 12 song studio length album with a singalong poppy melodic ballad about lovers turning into strangers - a track so palatable one could easily imagine it on a movie or video game soundtrack.

Similar sentiments follow for “I Decide”, both could be hands down contenders for singles played on every major radio station in the nation, and/or a Tony Hawk Pro Skater, FIFA, etc sort of console game. Commodification aside, there is not only a high production value to this album but also a certain level of sincerity laced into the music that makes the band pull on you over time - even the songs I skipped over at first ended up growing on me and eventually winning me over.

Cory Glockmore on bass/vocals, Brent Waterworth on guitar/vocals, and Landon Asbury on drums have produced a nearly flawless album with heavy undertones of Alkaline Trio, Blink 182, MxPx, and Good Riddance. They previously released EPs in 2017 and 2018, and are regulars in the LA circuit with Waterworth also playing in Southern California punk band Toxic Energy, and Glockmore’s other project, Lost Issue.

Glockmore and Waterworth trade off on vocal duties with a complimentary blend of complex ranges and registers, it’s hard to say which I prefer as Waterworth’s unique tone inflections add both warmth and texture throughout the tracks, and Glockmore’s crystal clear annunciation and pitch perfect singing chops uplevel the band’s first full studio length album offering substantially. Glockmore is hands down one of the best pop punk singers out there right now, and Every Second has all the makings of becoming a classic pop punk emo album.

Other stand out tracks include “Giving Up” and “Smile”, both containing the sort of catchy infectious lyrics that stay stuck in your head for a week straight. Other noteworthy tracks “My S Cape” and “Why Can’t I” wax poetic about things beyond our control, and “Snow Globe” takes you on a lyrical journey through a bad day inside of Glockmore’s mind. Lyrics like “standing still, while your whole world is shaken up”, and “I’m trapped inside this snowglobe, my world is shaken up” - are a couple examples of the strong mental images conjured when listening to Taken Days’ songs; their heart-on-their-sleeve autobiographical lyrical style being one of boys growing into men, and true storytellers rehashing their lives in a way that both a 14 year old and a 40 year old can relate to. This is the sort of album you can grow up listening to, and/or pass down to influence your kids.

It’s hard to say if Taken Days has missed the boat on the major emo wave of years past or if they’ve surfaced to pioneer the genre into a new era, but what is obvious is the staying power this album will have for years to come. What I do know is, if old school festivals like Warped Tour were still around the summer crowds would eat these three up… tall cans, screaming girls, beach balls bouncing around in the air and all. Any band with this much mass appeal and potential for mainstream industry crossover are ones to keep an eye on, so I suggest watching these guys closely. Taken Days is great for fans of MakeWar, Urethane, Down By Law, and Blink 182.