Los Angeles trio The Daytime High have built their name on stitching together threads of classic rock with a modern pulse, and their new single ‘Beauty in the Sky’ is their most confident stride yet.
What starts as a riff pulled out of thin air during a studio break quickly grows into something towering; a redemption story dressed in jangling Supergrass-style guitars, a swaggering chorus, and a solo that begs to be blasted through car speakers. Vocalist Micael Johansson cuts through the haze with a tone equal parts grit and clarity, carrying lyrics that shift the narrative from hardship to transcendence. The song isn’t about wallowing in the low moments, but about climbing past them until you glow differently, lit from the inside out.
Behind the scenes, David James (guitar, backing vocals) and Rich Buckland (bass, keys, production) add crucial muscle. The arrangement balances familiarity with flair: the chorus hooks like a radio staple, while the bridge swerves into trippy territory with a Leslie speaker effect that tilts the whole thing sideways, briefly channelling Ride or The Charlatans before snapping back to pure rock fire. It’s classic without being stuck in the past; a track that nods to The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Who, while still pulsing with the vibes of a 2025 release.
What makes ‘Beauty in the Sky’ stand out is its spirit. The Daytime High play rock ’n’ roll because they like it, and because it connects. There’s charm in that simplicity, but also craft; a sense that this band knows exactly when to lean into nostalgia and when to bend it into something new.
With their knack for marrying earworm riffs to timeless themes, The Daytime High prove once again that rock’s glow hasn’t dimmed, it just takes the right spark to set it alight. And ‘Beauty in the Sky’ is that spark.
