Only a couple years old, with a few line-up changes since their inception in early 2001, Slow Coming Day has finally released their first full-length album since their
Beyond that, there's not much to say about this new band's background, save that Orion writes all the song lyrics on
Clearly songwriting is a cathartic outlet for Orion. "Pages Yet to Be Written" dwells on how quickly things can go from good to bad and how our past can continue to haunt us. The moody power ballad "In Silence" expresses feelings of frustration and depression, and "The Room Without Walls" is ultimately more depressing and melancholic than the book of Ecclesiastes. Especially tough to take is "Tight Wire and Cold Hands," which seems to be about how depression can drive some people too far, to the point of suicide.
Does Slow Coming Day offer a glimpse of hope in their music? Two songs center on the subject of romantic infatuation. In "Captivated," Orion pines, "You're stealing my heart again through every single move you make/And conquer over me with every glance of your blue eyes." He later expresses similar amazement in "Behind Blue Eyes."
As for spiritual healing, Orion's faith helped him through the tough times, but there's little Christianity to be found in the music itself. "Watching It Fall Apart" hints at it in yet another song about a girl wrestling with self-esteem in a world obsessed with physical appearances – "She drops to her knees in hopes to find tomorrow/Could she find, could she find the answer?" The darkly colored "Recollections" is very similar to "The Room Without Walls," except it draws more of a conclusion – "Take a look in the mirror and tell me who have I become? I know that I don't care … and know that each lie will find you out." Then there's "Don't Walk Away," which seems to be written from God's perspective, asking us to cast aside our fears and wants – "How long will you run from yourself and keep pretending that everything will just work out like you planned? Just walk away … don't walk away from me."
At least as a band, Slow Coming Day shows a lot of promise. Their rocking power pop is packed with singable melodies, strong electric guitars, and a tight rhythm section. They do it well, though most will rightfully regard this as just another indie rock band with a sense for pop and emo. It's a good start, but it certainly doesn't live up to other recent releases on Tooth & Nail produced by Aaron Sprinkle (Holland, Mae, Anberlin). If only more indie rock bands could be as fresh and creative sounding as Cool Hand Luke, Further Seems Forever, and Denison Marrs. Slow Coming Day will please fans of the genre and strike a chord with those who can relate to Orion's experiences, but it's bound to leave many others feeling empty on multiple levels.