Put simply and unequivocally: Yellowcard is my favorite band of all time. While I will entertain debate, words cannot express the impact that their music has had and continues to have on my life. Yellowcard was the band who’s lyrics and melodies always seemed to come at the right time, when I needed to hear them.
It’s hard to quantify the amount of Yellowcard’s music that has passed through my earphones over the years. I got a hold of my first Yellowcard album, The Underdog EP, as a senior in high school and even though it was limited to five tracks, I can still remember listening to it over-and-over again. Naturally, as a freshman at Virginia Tech, when I got the chance to see them live at a nearby college, I jumped at the opportunity. It was the first concert that I had ever attended and since that day, I have been forever hooked.
After the last three years of Yellowcard’s inactivity, since promoting Paper Walls, my fleeting hope for reformation seemed all but dashed. That’s partly why I was so shocked when last week I learned that the group had released an album the month prior whichI had no idea of. While partially disappointed that almost two months had elapsed before I was alerted of such epic news, I quickly dipped over to an online music house to purchase a digital copy of When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, their seventh studio album.
Returning to their independent roots and with the lack of support from their previous major record label, Yellowcard released their latest project with Hopeless Records, a LA-based independent record label.
What’s beautiful about their latest project is that it brings me back to the style of music that made me love Yellowcard to begin with, without seeming like a reunion tour. You get the feeling that Yellowcard is back with a new sense of purpose and hope is renewed that this is not their last rodeo. Their first released single is titled, “For You, and Your Denial.”
The album is a wonderful showcase to Ryan Key’s masterful vocals and Longineu Parsons’ brilliant work on the sticks, not to mention Sean O’Donnell and Ryan Mendez, who control the rhythm section. Last, but certainly not least, is Sean Mackin who totally brings the thunder on the violin.
Kyle C. Stilley | Marketing Strategist | @stillz | Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC | kyle@musicwithoutlabels.com