Album cover is Midget Tossing-tier bad, but the music itself is Southern Air-tier good.

Album Rating: 3.0

Man it's really poppy. Like, REALLY. After the actually emotional "final" st album I was expecting a big mature return, instead we got a collection of catchy but ultimately empty songs. Nothing sounds really sincere to me, even the last two songs. Maybe I'm asking too much of a Yellowcard album lol



edit: for comparison, PBBT also made a song about the singer's blue eyed son on their album Wait For Love and I think it's way more subtle and mature.

Damn, l didn't realise this had come out. Will check.

Album Rating: 3.0

Key reuses some lyris from his solo stuff which I actually find cool, definitely prefer his solo stuff atm, not sure if this is for me

Album Rating: 5.0

@stevecif: I was iffy on the cover as well but it grew on me once I learned it was his baby boy's toy piano. Agreed you're enjoying the music so much! I agree the songs are stellar. Do you have an early favorite?



@gravityswitch: Agreed this is something of a mainstream bid. I think they're striking while the iron's hot due to their resurgence in popularity. I think it feels kind of Paper Walls-y at times though which is great. They may not have the mature lyrics of SA or the S/T record, but this album is insanely catchy and has more energy than any other post-LPIII record. It's a trade-off and depends on what you're looking for from the band. It's definitely polished and sleek though, moreso than perhaps any other YC release.



@joshieboy: Let me know what you think! It's a pretty fun listen IMO.



@Asura: Yup, and he did the same thing on Honest from the Jump from the Childhood Eyes EP. I don't really mind it because they're good lyrics. I love solo Ryan, especially the first EP, but for me nothing tops the YC experience.

Album Rating: 3.0

Ah didn't know, I never dove into their discog but listening to Take what you want was fun catching the references from The Bowery I believe, so ye I don't mind at all... hoping for more of his solo tho

Album Rating: 5.0

I'm fine with it as long as it doesn't come at the expense of more YC ;-)

Can't stop listening to You Broke Me Too

Album Rating: 3.0

This is fun. My main gripe with this band is that they NEVER change what they sing about. After 20 years don’t you have any other subjects besides love and break ups lol. SA and their s/t are their best records for me. City Of Angels is amazing though.

Album Rating: 5.0

Glad you're enjoying it Slex! I like all the songs but Barely Alive is my favorite thus far.



Mongi, you knew you were going to draw my ire with that comment 😅 I could cite many examples from the birth of his son on this album to the death of his Aunt on Southern Air to themes of what makes a home to inner band turmoil to drugs to alienation from fame to the Iraq war... I'll stop 😂

Album Rating: 3.0

Like where are those songs though. Unless I’ve misinterpreted them, breakup songs and love are their shtick. Obviously Big Blue Eyes is about his son but some of those lyrics made me laugh lol like can you name them?

Album Rating: 5.0

You're not wrong that they have a lot of songs about love and breakups, but they also have a lot of other content. I can of course name them:



Becoming a father - honestly I, Big Blue Eyes

Death of his Aunt - Telescope

Home - like, so many songs lol but Southern Air t/t works

Inner band turmoil - A Vicious Kind, Skin Scraped, Five Becomes Four

Alienation/Fame - Basically all of Lights & Sounds but City of Devils is the most transparent

Iraq War - Two Weeks From Twenty



And those are just themes I pulled out of thin air, off the top of my head. There's plenty more if I went album by album, song by song...



I hope you appreciate that I'm just proving a point and not being adversarial!

You forgot Ten. That song ruins me

Album Rating: 5.0

Oh yeah no idea how I forgot that one. Probably the best example of all.

Album Rating: 3.0

City of Angels is screaming for a Tom Delonge feature with those call and response vocals at the end.



And Barely Alive could be a Mark Hoppus/ +44 song.

im scared to jam this album.

Plus "Believe" was about 9/11

Album Rating: 5.0

@WhiteNoise: Haha I could totally see that on City of Angels and I'm so glad it didn't happen. I am okay with the occasional artist feature but never like when artists abuse them. Plus, Skiba + Delonge would have felt even more like they're trying to make this YC-182. I haven't heard enough +44 to say, but all I know is Barely Alive rules regardless.



@bellovdd: You know you are going to anyway so just do it ;). Honestly it's not nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Yes it is very streamlined, and yes there are some blink-182isms present. But from the start I've said it sounds a bit like self titled blink-182 (their best album IMO) if Yellowcard wrote it. It's got amazing drumming that can hit any tempo at any time, but is focused on melodies and hooks. It also feels like Yellowcard in every way, so their core identity is completely intact. It's just a really fun, high energy pop-punk record that doesn't overthink things.

Album Rating: 5.0

@Middle18: Yet another great example! All this serves to prove that YC don't have an issue with lyrics or plot. Honestly, the diversity of their lyrics is one of the best in the entire genre. They've covered such a broad scope of topics over the years.

self titled blink is still the second best blink ever so ill give it a go.... not that I wasn't going to but I just have very high hopes for yellowcard! I dont wanna be let down!