Still missing this band the most. I've been listening to Lights & Sounds along with their Apple Music Essentials playlist (Solid playlist btw).
One of my top bands too. So many memories and positive feelings come when I listen to this bands music. It always reminds me of summer, and over coming obstacles. I still listen to the Ocean Ave to Southern Air era of album a ton (as well as my favourite tracks from OFTK, Lift A Sail, S/T and Big If...). I get bands have certain life spans, but these guys are missed for sure.
In addition to everything both of you guys said above, I always wish we could’ve seen them expand on their Lift A Sail/Self Titled sound a little bit more. It felt like they were really coming into form in the more mid-tempo rock genre.
Last two records felt like a huge shift. Almost like a new band. I really missed LP’s drumming. I did like records, and loved some of the songs, it just didn’t have the same impact on me as much as the OA-SA run, which is totally fine. I discovered this band with One For The Kids (Thanks to randomly downloading an unknown song called October Nights by a band I never heard of called Yellowcard via Napster). I feel really lucky to have been listening to the band through their run and I listened to Ryan’s EP’s a lot and he hope he wide releases any new music he has because I will be listening and supporting that way.
I’ve never thought about it quite this way but those two heavier albums do feel like a different band. They have some of my favorite Yellowcard songs on them (Fields & Fences, Empty Street, Transmission Home, etc), but it’s such a drastic shift in sound that I almost never play new YC back to back with old YC (and vice versa).
Yeah the band definitely took a hit for me personally when LP left, or whatever happened there... like, I started PLAYING drums because of LP. Just wasn’t the same. There was definitely some good stuff to follow, but the speed and the energy was just... largely gone.
I get why people take issue with the shift in sound on those last two albums, but I thought they perfected their pop-punk sound on Southern Air to such a degree that they had nowhere else to go in that vein that would have been satisfying. I was always glad they decided to change things up.
Totally agree. And I think that’s why I was so bummed that they called it quits. I was so stoked to see what they would be able to accomplish in that mid tempo genre or even with more atmospheric/ambient sounds worked into the songs. The combination of talent with Key, Mackin and Mendez could’ve led to some really memorable tracks that would’ve still felt like Yellowcard. I listen to songs like Empty Street, A Place We Set Afire, My Mountain, etc very often.
Ryan’s voice/lyrics, Sean’s violin skills and LP’s drumming is what put these guys up there as one of my favourite and most listens to bands. I get member changes and band politics happen, but I missed LP’s drumming. Transmission Home, Empty Street and Lift a Sail maybe my three favourite songs from those last two records. There’s sort of been four different sounds so far for me, and 5th is developing: OFTK-basement emo OA-SA-Summer pop punk emo LAS-S/T-radio rock/90’s influence WRK EP’s-softer acoustic WRK-experimental programmed ambient All these genres I have enjoyed, and I look forward to what’s next. I just know OA—SA is an absolute go to listen and has lots of memories attached.
The only thing that I noticed different was the lack of good fills and a different cymbal work. I loved LP’s ability to fill a song with good cymbal work and drum fills and I felt like those were largely missing on the last two albums and left a little too much dead space for my liking. Otherwise I thought the drumming was fine for what they were shifting towards.
What Appears is a good example. I can just hear good drum fills throughout and the crashing symbols fitting perfectly in the bridge on top of those roaring guitars (2:20 onward) but in the studio version it sort of just falls flat. Ironically enough that song sounded better live to me - Jimmy did a great job IMO Most of this is annoyingly specific criticism. But it’s just things i’ve noticed over time listening. Miss this band a lot
I didn’t take issue. I think with LP gone and Ryan having an interest in changing sounds they took the opportunity to “go for a new sound”. Southern Air still felt fresh, and WYTTSY was released not long before and it felt fresh. They never felt like they ran out of ideas and were copying themselves. But, I get why they wanted to try something new. Id also like to point out how awesome their albums production quality was as a listener. Neal did an awesome job with them, and the fact that members of Yellowcard got into production shows how much of positive influence he was.
Yeah, I liked LP’s energy and how it had huge role in their albums. It’s not a knock on how the drumming was performed for LAS or S/T. I just was used to hearing something else in the combination that wasn’t there anymore. As a member of a band you can contribute in more when recording like LP must have done, but if you’re coming in to drum on a record like LAS, like Nate did, you probably play more of what you’re asked. The drum intro on Transmission Home is awesome, but it just doesn’t feel like LP or have that energy we were used to from previous albums. But awesome.
Empty Street feels like mid era Yellowcard because it basically was (with Big If....). I think it was such a great idea for them to include that on S/T. Feels like they really listened to fans and gave that song a official release.
I never followed this band outside of the huge singles. Their last release got me more into them and I loved it and loved learning the catalogue. No record stood out as a bad one for me.
I remember seeing that the song was to be included on WYTTSY, but the album came out and obviously didn’t make the cut... but I’m glad they saved it for S/T... way more impactful. Sounded killer too. Yeah definitely not knocking their shift in sound towards the end, but for me, where they were largely all killer before, they were a bit more hit and miss for me, after...
Just to clarify I wasn't objecting to the newer sound. I like those albums, and they're one of my all time favorite bands. I more just meant that they are so different to me that if I'm in the mood to listen to one, I don't necessarily want the other, if that makes sense.