Artist: Yellowcard
Album: Lift A Sail
Label: Razor & Tie
Genre: Rock

Words sift in and out of the brain when listening to Yellowcard’s new release, Lift A Sail. But one word sticks. One word stays with you from the first note of the violin to the final chord on the guitar. One word brilliantly and magnificently captures Yellowcard’s career cornerstone piece. One word: beautiful.

The new record creates a firm juxtaposition against the Yellowcard fans have grown to love — but it’s not the type of change that comes with resentment from fans. It’s a progression that feels natural for a fan base that has arguably changed as much as the band in the last decade. Songs like “Transmission Home,” and “Crash The Gates,” reaffirm that a band can define itself multiple times in a career. There’s a sparkle — a mystique that comes with the tracks that fans of Yellowcard have never heard with a release. It’s passionate without trying to punch you directly in the gut.

It’s not as though Yellowcard has released an indie rock record — the band has not abandoned its roots or given up the electric guitar and released a folk record. We’re not speaking of the outlandish and obscure. What the band has done is dug deep within the realm of the sound of Yellowcard and pushed those boundaries. Yellowcard didn’t leave the house it built — it’s just checking out the other rooms under the roof. Like the guy who leaves the dance floor at the party and walks into a dark room with a woman — that’s the kind of polish on Lift A Sail.

Songs like the lead single, “One Bedroom,” speak to a new, more mature fan of Yellowcard. It’s a number spiked with a pop-punk melody and it’s addictive; a modern-day memorable ballad full with a proper balance of electronics and human instrumentations. Songs like the self-titled track, “Lift A Sail,” show the juxtaposition discussed earlier — it’s a true parallel between where Yellowcard was and where the band is going.

The direction of “Lift A Sail” shows depth and emotion the way the band has never presented in the past — the chorus of “I am ready now,” reflects the change this band is striving toward.

The record closes with a warming ballad from frontman Ryan Key and co., “California.” Key’s voice behind the strength of the piano fills your body and runs through you like a warm sip of drink on a cool day — it reaches to the tips of your fingers and the back of your ears. It flows through you and sends chills down your spine. It’s a true gem, the highlight song of the record.

Lift A Sail is a record that shows a band can expand the bounds of its brand of rock music without totally forgetting where it came from. An enlightening experience that has a sound ready to age well with more listens.

SCORE: 8.5/10
Review written by Matthew Leimkuehler (@callinghomematt)

Pre-order Lift A Sail today.

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Matthew Leimkuehler

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