Album Review: Mayday Parade - Sunnyland

Florida-based emo rockers Mayday Parade kick it up a notch for their sixth studio album Sunnyland with some rough-and-ready passive aggressiveness.

Opening tracks Never Sure and It's Hard To Be Religious When Certain People Are Never Incinerated By Bolts Of Lightning (there's always got to be one overly long title) provide anthemic choruses, gritty guitars and some not-to-sweet lyrical content ("Now everyone knows what a selfish prick you've become") before taking a breath and settling down into piano ballad Piece Of Your Heart.

Singer Derek Sanders' voice is an amazing outlet for the album's deeply emotive lyrics and heartbreaking harmonies, and standout tracks Take My Breath Away and How Do You Like Me Now show off the diversity that is sure to provide great contrast in a live setting.

The pace of the album ebbs and flows from heavy drums and screaming vocals to light guitar picks and soft piano keys, demonstrating that although Mayday Parade made their name around their emotional ballads, they can also pack a punch when they need to.

Sunnyland is a starkly realist look at love, life and loss, and, as the final strings ring out, we can't help but wish it lasted for just a little bit longer.