Yellowcard Stay True To Their Classic Sound On "Southern Air"


For those of you who get your pop-punk bands confused, Yellowcard was the one with the electric violin. They had a string of hit songs on MTV in the mid-2000s before going on hiatus in 2008. In 2010, they got back together and released When Your Through Thinking, Say Yes the following year. Last month, Yellowcard released their eighth studio album, Southern Air. If you like Yellowcard, you are in for a treat. Southern Air sounds like classic Yellowcard. If you don’t like them, well . . . you can argue that it sounds exactly like every other Yellowcard album.

The album kicks off with “Awakening” a solid opener and mosh-pit starter. It starts off quite and then explodes in that traditional Yellowcard way. For the most part, each track keeps up the energy with big choruses and quiet to loud dynamic changes. The acoustic ballad “Ten” shows singer and lyricist Ryan Key at his most vulnerable, singing to miscarried child. The song has a beautiful melody and is a nice change of pace. Lyrically, Yellowcard has always been a rather reflective band with songs about Ryan Key’s family members, relationships and friends. On Southern Air, there is a greater sense of peace and maturity when covering these topics. Prime examples are “Telescope” and the closer “Southern Air”. All in all, as stated earlier, Southern Air, is classic YC. However, unlike some of their contemporaries, Yellowcard has found a way to be true to their classic sound without rehashing the past.

Essential tracks: “Awakening”, “Ten” & “Southern Air”

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