By: Joseph VanBuren
Rating: 7/11

With a band named Daylight and a CD called Sinking, this quartet from Pennsylvania instantly sums up the yin and yang of being a melodic/hardcore punk act. Indeed, this 5-song EP, the band’s debut, is a nicely balanced mix of heavy and melodic riffs, with rhythms that follow suit and vocals that are luckily often drowned out by the complexities of the music. The production quality is top-notch; guitars are often multi-layered, and it takes a good engineer in the studio to achieve the sonically satisfying sound that Sinking delivers. The fact that the band is also extremely tight probably has something to do with it as well.

In contrast to the impressive musicianship and sound quality of Daylight’s songs, the vocals are quite mediocre. Lead vocalist Taylor Madison performs in that limbo between singing and screaming, trying to keep up with the music’s duality. This leaves him simply shouting out of key most of the time. It also doesn’t help that his generic lyrics sound like they were written by a very depressed first-grader, as exemplified in the title track: “I’ve got this sinking feeling coming up inside/ I can’t let this go into my head.”

Though the songs are built around mid to fast punk tempos, Sinking shines the most when it briefly strays from this, such as in the mellow and mysterious intro of “The Best.” Most of the EP is solid and steady; well-executed but fairly predictable. In the end, Daylight manages to find a balance between yin and yang. Sinking sounds great and, though it may not impress many outside of the genre, it's sure to please fans who like their punk as harmonious as they do heavy.