For many, listening to the band Yellowcard releases a wave of nostalgia. A generation of middle schoolers rode the bus home every day, listening to Yellowcard on portable CD players, reveling in the band’s brand of light and catchy teenage rebellion. Yellowcard lyrics peppered Myspace pages all over the country and connected with teenagers in a way only angst-soaked guitar pop can.
Fast forward about 10 years, and Yellowcard is at it again with the release of their self-titled album, the band’s 10th and final release. Unfortunately for Yellowcard, the band should have left their discography to nine albums and forgotten this one. Now in their 19th year of existence, Yellowcard’s new release is a muddy mess, stale and unengaging in comparison to their earlier work.
Musically, most songs on the album feel very unstable and choppy. A band once known for their well-structured and catchy musical sound now features songs which are anything but. Each song on the album seems to have its own internal conflict in the music. Rhythm and lead guitar parts constantly fail to mesh smoothly together and at times even seem to be battling one another. Pair this with synth lines and guitar solos that seem to appear out of nowhere, and each song feels like a rough demo and not a final product on a finished album.
Additionally, on a majority of the album lead vocalist Ryan Key’s vocals are coated in a strange feedback-sounding effect, which only serves to blend them in with the feedback-heavy guitars on the album, further dirtying the sound.
As unclear as the music on the album may be, the content of the album’s lyrics are the most unenjoyable part. In the early 2000s, Yellowcard made a living writing music for young teens. The band’s songs fit this age group perfectly with a slew of enjoyable songs about being young and being your own person. Yellowcard’s new album lacks this fun.
A majority of the songs feature lyrics about returning home and a seemingly lost relationship. While these are perfectly fine topics to write about, the lyrics fail to be interesting or gripping. The lyrical themes are presented vaguely and with painfully overwrought melodrama, leaving listeners feeling like they are being whined at for 47-straight minutes by a group of men nearly in their forties — not exactly fun or enjoyable.
Whether a failed attempt at a new direction or just the band growing stagnant, Yellowcard’s new release fails to recapture their once fun and enjoyable sound; instead, it leaves us with a messy soundscape and lyrics full of clichéd, eye-rolling moments.
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