Best Night of Our Lives

Album Review

Everyday Sunday make the leap from competent punk-pop to genre-bending rock stars on Best Night of Our Lives, their fourth full-length project. The most noticeable improvement over 2007's Wake Up! Wake Up! is the strength of their songwriting, which goes beyond the rote endeavors of faith-based rock and delves headfirst into deeper life experiences. While the Ohio group has always gunned for high-octane, Green Day-esque anthems, this album goes for it in a more aggressive manner, with their sound becoming more thunderous and dense. This works mostly in their favor, allowing their songs to take greater shape between chorus and verse. The title track is easily their most accessible, hook-filled hit, a classic theme for celebrating young life. Pounding rock tracks like "Under Your Thumb" are balanced by endearing ballads like "Here with Me" and "Where I Ended," both of which express the group's convictions with the plainness and confidence of the Afters or Relient K. Overall, the album gets better with each listen and proves the value of sticking with what you do best.