Review Summary: 5 everything
I didn’t really disclose it to anyone yet, but I adopted a new method for when to give an album the sacred 5 rating: that
classic score that stirs up endless debate and claims so many copy/paste victims. To get this sought-after number, an album simply needs to be perfect in my eyes at any specific point in time. That’s it. I’m not concerned with how I’ll feel in a year or two; once it passes that barrier of personal importance, it will always have that special place in my sentimental heart.
I think maybe theacademy had it right all along. Over ten years ago – during my awkwardly naïve beginnings – I couldn’t wrap my mind around why he 5’d so many albums. I remember sending him a shout asking why he slapped a perfect rating on virtually anything. His response has stayed with me to this day. I’m paraphrasing here, but I know he said something very close to this: music rating is subjective and pointless outside of “I don’t like this, this is sh*t" and “I really dig this!” The bottom line: if you dig an album, it’s a 5. If you don’t, it’s a 1. To be honest, adopting this method for rating would make things a whole lot easier.
Exactly one week ago, during the final stretch of a long work week, Yellowcard’s
Paper Walls was – intensely, convincingly – perfect. And, really, that’s all that matters. I used to put so much thought into what criteria makes up the workings of a 5, but that powerful connection between the music and listener is everything no matter how brief. Though as I write this –
Papers Walls blasting through the speakers at full volume as my personal therapy for two consecutive Thursday’s – I can’t help but wonder how brief my connection to the album will really be.
It’s funny how I don’t exactly choose my reviews at this point. It didn’t used to be this way back in 2012 when I was posting reviews almost every day without putting much thought into them. Being a bit generous, I'd say I had about as much self-control as, let's say, Skeletor. I’m still a flawed writer – we all are – but one thing I can’t do anymore is force a review just for the sake of writing one. When I’m feeling passionate, it just kind of happens. I was just dicking around on Sputnik and decided to binge some Yellowcard based on Sowing’s
Lights and Sounds review and bada bing, bada boom. I had to express how much staying power
Paper Walls has.
Over the years, my favorite tracks on
Papers Walls have shifted. I used to be all about “Shadows and Regrets.” It’s fine I guess, but I probably wouldn’t be writing this review if it wasn’t for the insanely upbeat and stellar opening trio of tracks. As the stress from my fourth 10-hour shift melts away, “The Takedown” completely revitalizes me with its driving guitars and extra dose of energy. It’s an epic, convincing rocker that just gets better every time I hear it. By the time the opening track hits the midway point, my outlook had taken a swift 180 turn; the night is young, and it feels good to be alive. “Fighting” and “Shrink the World” keep the momentum going and seal the deal for the strongest opening run of tracks on a Yellowcard album. Prove me wrong.
Sixteen years since its release,
Paper Walls has only continued to win me over: a thriving companion on many spring evenings and just as many autumn nights. With the swiftness of a switch, it became very important to me, and trying to even identify its flaws became a pointless exercise. These are the moments in music I live for; listening to this album makes me want to light up the fu*king sky.
