New Years Day - Unbreakable

2019 release. Appropriately enough for a band named New Years Day, their stunning Unbreakable album signifies a new outlook-as well as a high-water mark for the Cali-bred lineup. Unbreakable contains a dozen intense, boundary-melding songs that may touch on metal or goth, but are ultimately undeniable modern rock 'n' roll tunes, no-holds-barred, done the New Years Day way. Unbreakable showcases a New Years Day stripped bare-literally. The "boys in the band" left behind their white face makeup, which all admit was somewhat of a "safety blanket." Likewise, Ash Costello stripped down her songwriting. "I used to think lyrics needed to have metaphorical veils and be super-dense and paint a picture but leave it up to the interpretation." But for Unbreakable, she says with characteristic forthrightness: "I was, 'fuck that, I'm literally going to say exactly what I want to say.' Yeah, there's some metaphorical stuff, but this is me moving into a more literal direction."