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Review: Yellowcard - Lift A Sail

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Lift A Sail is the ninth studio album from pop-punk pioneers Yellowcard. The most melodic release of the band’s career, it seems they’re beginning to experiment more with their sound, and I can guarantee I’m not the only one who’s liking the direction they’re taking.

The album begins with the Sean Mackin’s violin taking center-stage on “Convocation”. It’s a beautiful intro and allows you to picture what the album’s title is all about. It’s followed by the loud and in-your-face “Transmission Home”. The transition between the two tracks is a little abrupt, but the journey taken throughout its four and a half minutes make that easily forgettable.

The third track, “Crash The Gates”, channels the old school Yellowcard everyone knows and loves while encorporating the growth and experience they’ve gained over the years. The instruments are its standout, with the intensity growing and diminishing as the song changes from verse to chorus. It’s follow up, “Make Me So”, is definitely the album’s poppiest and one of my personal favourites. It carries with it a quick pace and features the occasional synth that really makes the chorus shine. I know it’ll definitely be on repeat for awhile.

“One Bedroom” is the album’s lead single and probably its best showing. An open love letter to vocalist Ryan Key’s wife, you can hear his love and affection for her with every note he sings. The changes in tempo and the intensity of the chorus fit the song perfectly and it really allows the listener a glimpse into Key’s relationship.

Following the album’s poppier trend, “Fragile and Dear” is filled with a mixture of electronics and raw instrumentation that creates a dimension and sound that compliments both Key’s vocals and Mackin’s violin perfectly. “Illuminate” is almost a complete 180°, with its hard-rock sentiments. The loud verses and soft choruses create an appealing contrast and the lyrical content is definitely my favourite on the record.

“Madrid” is the only song that seems to get overshadowed due to its slow pace - it doesn’t necessarily fit in with the rest of Lift A Sail. It’s followed by the album’s only collaboration: “The Deepest Well”. Featuring Memphis May Fire’s Matty Mullins, it definitely has an alternative rock influence that most fans will easily get into. It’s fast-paced, melodic and in-your-face, and the guitars and drums are the definite standouts. The only gripe I have with it is I don’t think Key and Mullins’ voices mesh too well, which takes away from the song’s overall quality.

The album’s title track follows a similar sound to “The Deepest Well”. Key’s vocals are best showcased on it and the guitar solo in the middle ties everything together. It’s a beautiful song and that beauty transfers into “MSK”. My personal favourite, it channels “Convocation” and there’s honestly no other way for me to describe it than beautiful. I know I’ve described the majority of the album this way, but there’s no denying that Lift A Sail is something of beauty. “MSK” is the encompassing component of the album and is the embodiment of what I believe it to be: a testament of love and hope.

The final two tracks send Lift A Sail out perfectly. “My Mountain” returns the listener to the usual Yellowcard sound, with the heavy base and to-the-point lyrics, and “California” ends the way “Convocation” began. It’s a soft track that allows the album to come full circle and is a love song to rival all love songs.

So what’s my final verdict? Lift A Sail is an ace in the hole. It’s a mixture of old-school Yellowcard and a new melodic sound, and I believe it to be the band’s best showing to date. Key’s vocals are as good as they’ve ever been and the band overall sound in sync. While listening, you’re taken on a journey and it’s one you’ll want to experience over and over again. I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about the album and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to truly explain my love and appreciation for it.

Download: MSK

4.5/5

By Clare Fitzgerald
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