Every once in a while, an album comes along that just wows you. Not the kind of "wow" related to one of your favorite bands, however. No, it's the kind of surprising "wow" of an indie rock band that you just know has nothing but a bright future ahead of them. Such is the introduction for This Day and Age. Their brand of pop/rock, infused with light pianos and catchy guitar riffs a la Copeland, makes …Always Leave The Ground one of the best releases no one knows about.

It's one of those "summer anthem" albums without the anthems for summer. The songs talk about loss and discovery (Mostly relational, but at times delving into spiritual), but somehow the overall tone of the album is remarkably upbeat. Even when dealing with tough subjects, the songs are sweet and innocent. The music always stays just a bit more lenient to the rock side of things, but the songs are catchy enough to keep you singing along.

This Day and Age is one of those bands that you need to listen to now, so that when they're popular later, you can claim superiority over your friends. It's a sad marvel that these guys haven't picked up steam already, but all good things come in time. With the promise of a new record before the year is up, let's hope This Day and Age finally gets their chance to leave the ground.

- Review date: 2/13/06, written by Josh Taylor