No Motiv DAYLIGHT BREAKING (Vagrant)

No Motiv have been making catchy alterna-rock albums for Vagrant since 1999, way before the label struck gold with Dashboard Confessional. The Southern Californians’ current disc is their first without producer Trever Keith (Face to Face), but its bottom-heavy commercial sheen proves they know their way around the studio. First single "Into the Darkness" is rooted in rugged skatepunk but strives for something more profound. "Darkness pulls me away, I’m falling into nowhere/I can’t see anything, I want it over now," frontman Jeremy Palaszewski wails as the guitars balance sunshine and paranoia. More than a few of today’s emo buzz bands could stand to borrow some of the song’s heft.

There’s more darkness where that came from on the rest of the disc, which isn’t a total bummer but might benefit from a little more of the daylight in its title. "Where Did You Go?" wrings a fervid sing-along from romantic despair; "Robot Eyes" bemoans nine-to-five complacency. "Brand New Day" is the album’s most joyous moment: "It’s a brand new day, and you’re in my way," Palaszewski howls at a backstabbing acquaintance. And when No Motiv shed their angst on the uplifting closer, "Life Goes On," it comes as a relief.

(No Motiv open for Andrew W.K. this Saturday, May 22, at Lupo’s at the Strand, 79 Washington Street in Providence; call 401-831-4071..)