Jason Prapas '06 had two lofty goals entering his senior year last September, and neither had anything to do with graduating. That month, the singer and guitarist and his bandmates in Great Day for a Race began recording their first full-length album and started to line up a slew of off-campus shows for the year.

After a semester of late-night rehearsals and weekend recording sessions-not to mention the hard work of their manager and good friend Matt Shuman '06-Great Day for a Race is greeting 2006 having achieved both goals. The band will release its debut album All that Life Intends in grand fashion Saturday night with a performance in Levin Ballroom, and will gig throughout the Boston area this semester at venues like the Middle East and Plough and Stars.

"We made no compromises," Prapas said of the album.

Great Day, which also includes guitarist Ryan Pressman '06, bassist Mayank Puri '08, saxophonist Rich Frank '06 and drummer Brian Schon '06, has already established in the last year and a half a sizeable fan base within the Brandeis campus and, along the way, become somewhat of a fixture at Cholmondley's.

The band's story begins even before any of its members came to Brandeis. Hoping to expand some songs he had written in high school on an acoustic guitar, Prapas began jamming with Schon their first year. The two shared "similar ideas for how the songs could sound with a whole band," Prapas said.

Three years later, All that Life Intends is the culmination of their ambitions. The record features a number of songs familiar to fans such as "Stoplight," "Quarter Passed," "Run Along" and "Anymore." Also included on the hour-long disc are about half a dozen newer tunes, including "You Can't See Me With Your Eyes Closed" and "The Dancer." The record has a wonderfully raw sound to it and makes especially good use of Prapas' distinctive voice.

An untitled bonus track prominently highlights Prapas' impressive vocal range and falsetto and Pressman shines during his extended solo in "Run Along." Schon and Puri provide a solid rhythm section throughout the record while Richard Frank livens things up with a warm saxophone.

On the surface, the album displays Great Day's retro-rock influences from start to finish. Yet, the band defies easy classification on every track, thanks in large part to Prapas' unorthodox but well-executed vocal style, which juxtaposes well with the band's sound. The vocal lines often seamlessly infuse subtle Mediterranean sounds into a classic rock 'n' roll template. While some notes sound almost accidental, every moment of the record fits perfectly with the one preceding it. Some tracks channel modern-rock acts like The Strokes and The Killers while others feature a more all-American '50s sound. These qualities blend nicely on "Quarter Passed," a highlight of the record that echoes the straight-rhythm sounds of Buddy Holly mixed with a new wave-derived vocal style.

The record reflects over three years of collaboration. By their sophomore year, Prapas and Schon were living feet away from Pressman and Frank, and the four soon formed Great Day's first incarnation. They played their first show that year at The Stein.

"We were so nervous to play in front of people," Prapas said. "We played three or four original songs and a couple of poorly executed covers."

The group began performing at Chum's, finding that despite their inexperience and then-lack of a bassist, "people seemed to enjoy our music, so we played a few more shows on campus that year," Prapas said.

By the next school year, Puri had joined the band.

"Junior year, the Facebook phenomenon hit Brandeis in full force. I would search for bass players online like a musical stalker," Prapas said. "That's when I found our little Indian blessing."

Prapas continued to write new songs while Great Day practiced together. Upon each new number's completion, Prapas said, "I'd bring it to the band and we'd make it sound fuller."

He said that the band became more serious this year, and All that Life Intends is proof of this. While recorded without the luxury of the finest equipment, the album captures accurately the live sound that has fueled Great Day's recent surge in popularity on and off campus.

While their future plans remain uncertain, the band hopes the new album is only the first of many triumphs in their final months at Brandeis. According to Prapas, Great Day for a Race has even "loftier goals for this semester," including securing a slot this April at SpringFest.

Great Day for a Race will perform Saturday in Levin Ballroom at 8 p.m., at the official release party for All that Life Intends.