Howie Day’s newest album, Stop All the World Now, is quite a different display of his talent. If you’re a veteran of Day’s music, be prepared to be slightly disappointed with his new sound. But also be prepared to give it a chance. The album isn’t a continuation of what he achieved on his previous album, Australia, but it is another example of Day’s musical gift.
Stop All the World Now is Day’s first experiment with a full band. He’s come a long way from Australia, which basically featured a boy and his guitar. The sincerity and truthfulness of his music is somewhat lost with his transition. Going from low-budget production to Epic records has almost unavoidably put him in a more mainstream category. A once exposed Howie Day is now more of a professional and “put together” musician. Yet the change isn’t entirely a bad thing.
Always present in Day’s work are his outstanding vocals. The cleaner construction of Stop All the World Now has given Day’s voice a clarity that helps uncover the passion laced within his music. Added instruments cancel his acoustic style, but the final product of this new collaboration presents an enjoyable sound. “Trouble in Here,” the fourth track on the album, shows the positives of having mixed musicianship with its powerful instrumental ending. Working with a full band, Day is able to give his music more flavor; it just takes some getting used to.
“Brace Yourself,” which opens the album, is a great track that draws you in to discover the next track: a poppy and unfulfilling tune that somehow managed to make it as the album’s first single. It’s a bad representation of what’s to come because there is truly some great work coming from Day in this album. It’s an album that may require repeated listenings, especially for older fans. It’s hard to realize the beauty of his music without running through it a few times.
Featured on the album is a remake of “She Says,” a track pulled from the previous album Australia. Following the trend of Day’s new release, the song has been dressed up with instrumentation and a more upbeat tempo.
Unfortunately, it’s a remake that shouldn’t have been attempted, especially to such a great song.
Stop All the World Now may appear at first to be one step closer to the cycle of a sell-out, but Howie Day fans shouldn’t write it off until giving it a fair chance. Day proves he is a talented musician, no matter what the style. Aside from changes, whether good or bad, it’s a great collection of music another step in Day’s journey as a musician.