Howie Day - Australia (2000) [Reissue 2002]

This reissue of Howie Day's self-assured debut, originally released independently in 2000, reveals a maturity beyond the young Maine singer-songwriter's age. Mixing gravelly vocals and somber strumming à la Joseph Arthur with the soaring power of Remy Zero and Dave Matthews Band and a touch of Radiohead fervor, Day's music is nonthreatening but far from wimpy. "She Says" combines plaintive acoustic guitar and bursts of vocal anguish, and the whispery "Disco" has dreamlike orchestras and a world-weary tone, while the lovely "Kristina" floats with a spare but intricate melody. Yet Day's maudlin tales of heartbreak have backbone--"Sorry So Sorry" ends in guitar-tossed turbulence, while "Everything Else" has biting riffs, and "More You Understand" builds to a crashing crescendo. Indeed, these injections of passion are what make Australia so exciting. While his influences are far from original, Day's execution is wholly his own. Australia brims with a life-or-death emotional urgency that's devoid of cynicism and steeped in the intensity of youth. --Annie Zaleski