Yellowcard - Better Days (October 10, 2025) • Page 23

I would struggle to give either such compliment to the drums.

Every last space is filled with some form of his typical rapid fire drum fill, more than any other instrument, and pretty much every song has the phaser effect that he is (in)famous for. Especially on the first 3 or 4 songs. It sounds as much the Travis show as the rest of the band, certainly more focus on the drums than Sean's role.

 

I think this is my main misgiving with this album after 10 or so listens. The songs are so great, but because of Travis, there's not that breathing room that I really loved about the last few records pre-breakup. When I wrote about Lift a Sail, I noted that not having their longtime pop-punk drummer really allowed them to stretch into some fresh sonic territory. I know not everyone loves that record anywhere as much as I do, but I wish there was just a little more of that expansiveness here.

 

I do really like this record and am very stoked to see a new YC album and to see them seemingly hitting a huge second wind in their band career. That said, I do have 2 complaints about the album: 1) It does feel like the Travis Show a lot of the time. Hes obviously an insane drummer, but his sound is so tied to Blink that it just feels like hes taking over a lot of the times.
2) Maybe a bigger complaint is I wish more songs had a more prominent violin part. Outside of Honestly, I, theres like very little violin in any of these songs. It basically just pops in during the bridges of most of the songs.

Anyways, Ive listened to the piss out of this album and really love it. Barely Alive is right up there as one of my favorite epic album-closers theyve done (I know its not the last song, but close enough).

 

I feel almost the complete opposite - for my ears, the more expansive drum fills and cymbal work were what I really was missing with both Lift a Sail and the self titled, it is really refreshing to hear them back. The last minute of “Barely Alive” is a perfect example of how the tremendous drum fills and cymbals working into the mix help the back end of that song sound massive.

 

I mean we were bound to get the standard burst of Travis complaints at some point

 

Drums are good on the album.

 

No shame in the album having major Blink vibes

 

Man that’s a bummer. It’s so hard when you’re choosing them for release because you’re not looking at images of physical records.

 

I love that record as much as you do

 

Swirl and splatter variants can be so hit or miss. I have some that look amazing and a bunch that clearly didn’t pan out as hoped. It happens!

 

I also noticed the lack of violin this time, key parts aside. Maybe they’re there, just lower in the mix? They seemed much more noticeable on the EP.

 

Listen with some good headphones, the violin is doing some awesome atmospheric work in the verses. Definitely got creative with it!

 

Bedroom Posters and Skin Scraped have a been a one two punch for me this morning.

 

The full conversation from that is 37 minutes long. Not sure if the whole thing will ever live on the interwebs though. I’ll ask

 

I’m no drummer but Honestly I is LP through TB.

 

Vocals on the album as a whole are spectacular. I find myself constantly returning to the verses of Barely Alive and You Broke Me Too where Ryan absolutely crushes. Those vocals in the lower ranges along with lyrical creativity feels different than anything I can think of before Better Days.

 

This is my favorite album from Yellowcard since the Paper Walls days. I’m having so much fun with it.

 

This is how I feel about it. Just takes me back to being 15 and in love with this band and so many other bands. I have such a fondness for my formative years but with that comes a real sense of pain and loss too. I think Bedroom Posters absolutely nails that sense of reality that you’re grown up now, and while there is no way to go back and relive those more innocent moments, the music always takes us back to better days. It’s a perfect song for me.

 

Just listened to this album for the first time in full. Bedroom Posters stood levels above the rest. It feels so Yellowcard.

 

Listening to self-titled for the first time in a minute, I think we all underrate that album. For me, it's always been a little overshadowed by the two albums that came before it, but aside from "Savior's Robes" (a song I don't really care for at all), it's got a lot of really cool stuff going on. A varied, emotionally resonant listen.

 

Potentially my favourite album of theirs based on the reasons you've mentioned.

The Hurt Is Gone is my favourite track, the chorus of "change comes for you, even when you're hiding out" hits so hard, I love the way it doesn't change much for the chorus and that driving, pulsating rhythm for all 6 minutes with no crescendo, giving that sense of the need to keep moving, or getting away from something but with no known destination or end point.

 

Was shuffling the full discog on my flight today. Rivertown Blues. What a fucking song. Double time, half time, pretty bridge, shredding solo. It has it all

 

A totally unique song from them. I always felt like it had the vibe of Stay on My Side Tonight Jimmy Eat World, particularly “Closer.” And I love that vibe, especially in the fall.