Yellowcard - Lights And Sounds
Seperating yourself from your compettition in any musical genre is difficult, let alone when it is as over saturated as the Pop-Rock/Punk-Pop genre is. Setting out on their third album (Yes, third. One For The Kids was their debut, not Ocean Avenue) the group of young Jacksonville(ians??) knew what they had to do. Either keep churning out radio friendly songs, album after album, or grew as artists, try new things while mainting their true identity. Many people talk about the sophmore album as it is the most important album in an artists career. Quite possibly true when regarding sales and whatnot, but IMO the third album is where everything truly starts to fall in to place. You start to see the picture that that artist is trying to paint, either with broad or minute strokes.
With Lights And Sounds their is definitive growth in not only the lyrics, but also the growth in the music. It seemed as though the majority of songs on Ocean Avenue seemed a bit predictable, verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-que the violin dude-chorus-ending. Some call the inclusion of a violinist in a punk-rock band to be somewhat of a schtick. I personally find it interesting, and applaud the idea, especially if implemented properly. This time around, seems to flow alot more naturally. Starting off with the rocking first single "Lights And Sounds", a fast paced, guitar driven pop-rock anthem pretty much anyone could enjoy. With clever song writing, nothing exactly groundbreaking, but most assuredly leaps and bounds above the likes of New Found Glory and Simple Plan.
From here on in the albums starts rolling, cranking out great track, one after another, with the only clear skip in my book being "City Of Devils" which seems a bit contrived. Skipping down a bit, we get to "Two Weeks From Twenty", song telling the tale of two boys who enlist in the army who wind up meeting their death only two weeks....you get the picture. "And then your heroes say//that miles away we lost another that we send with a gun//his lady missed him and their is still no shame//from the man to blame". Some maybe rolling their eyes, thinking "How original, another anti-war song." but this one stands above others because of the way in which it is told, and the resonating lyrics at the end "And their is still no shame//And we're all to blame". Opting not shove the blame in any specific persons face, due or undue, and telling the truth of alot of matters, in some ways we are all to blame for the things that occur to us and others.
With a few other pop-rock anthems up their sleeve in Lights And Sounds the album doesn't seem to skip a beat or falloff one bit from the great first half. Keeping great momentum throughout. It seems as though with the absensce of Blink 182 for the foreseeable future, these guys are more than ready to fill the void. Not just that of immature, fart noise making, potty humored "punk rockers", but one's with a social councious, but also the knack for writing catchy songs. That can also be valued by the mainstream, and by music snobs of some sorts.
4.5 out of 5
With Lights And Sounds their is definitive growth in not only the lyrics, but also the growth in the music. It seemed as though the majority of songs on Ocean Avenue seemed a bit predictable, verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-que the violin dude-chorus-ending. Some call the inclusion of a violinist in a punk-rock band to be somewhat of a schtick. I personally find it interesting, and applaud the idea, especially if implemented properly. This time around, seems to flow alot more naturally. Starting off with the rocking first single "Lights And Sounds", a fast paced, guitar driven pop-rock anthem pretty much anyone could enjoy. With clever song writing, nothing exactly groundbreaking, but most assuredly leaps and bounds above the likes of New Found Glory and Simple Plan.
From here on in the albums starts rolling, cranking out great track, one after another, with the only clear skip in my book being "City Of Devils" which seems a bit contrived. Skipping down a bit, we get to "Two Weeks From Twenty", song telling the tale of two boys who enlist in the army who wind up meeting their death only two weeks....you get the picture. "And then your heroes say//that miles away we lost another that we send with a gun//his lady missed him and their is still no shame//from the man to blame". Some maybe rolling their eyes, thinking "How original, another anti-war song." but this one stands above others because of the way in which it is told, and the resonating lyrics at the end "And their is still no shame//And we're all to blame". Opting not shove the blame in any specific persons face, due or undue, and telling the truth of alot of matters, in some ways we are all to blame for the things that occur to us and others.
With a few other pop-rock anthems up their sleeve in Lights And Sounds the album doesn't seem to skip a beat or falloff one bit from the great first half. Keeping great momentum throughout. It seems as though with the absensce of Blink 182 for the foreseeable future, these guys are more than ready to fill the void. Not just that of immature, fart noise making, potty humored "punk rockers", but one's with a social councious, but also the knack for writing catchy songs. That can also be valued by the mainstream, and by music snobs of some sorts.
4.5 out of 5
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