While the pop-punk band Yellowcard's most recognized and beloved songs, "Ocean Avenue" and "Only One" are still blasted by fans, their newest album, "When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes," seems to lack the magic of past efforts.
"I think it came out at a good time. When I think of Yellowcard, I think of summer," said junior Kaitlyn Cunning.
Sadly it might not be an album that will be played on the highest volume while driving down the shore. The record, as a whole, is disappointing. Listening to the album straight through is like listening to one song that is 45 minutes long. One song after the next blends with the prior track. Before you know it, you are on the tenth track wondering what happened to the other eight.
Listening to the songs individually is not a bad idea. It is when the album is played all the way through that it becomes a mindless blur of background noise.
Since Yellowcard's last release, "Paper Walls," in 2007, the band ironically changed their label from Capitol Records to Hopeless Records. Another change to the band was the replacement of bass player Peter Mosely with Sean O'Donnell. These changes did not seem to alter the band's sound too much, but there is something forgettable about "When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes."
"For You, and Your Denial" has a familiar sound that might make fans think they have heard it before. The song opens with a violin solo, which is out of the ordinary for the band, but after the first few seconds, it begins to sound very similar to the beginning of One Republic's "Secrets."
One Republic's violin solo was deeper pitched and slower, but, despite the differences in tone and speed, the beginnings can almost be mistaken for one another.
A few songs on the album seem to stick out more than others. Cunning said "Hang You Up," is her favorite song on the CD.
"I like the lyrics and the more mellow songs by them," she said.
"Hang You Up," Yellowcard's second single, is one of the better songs on the album. As one of two slow songs on the album, the other "Sing For Me," both add the little variation there is on the album.
Most of the lyrics reveal a relationship in which the lead singer still has feelings about a past love and wants to hold onto her but knows he has to let her go.
Or the couple is on the verge of breaking up and are contemplating whether they should stay together, which seems fitting for the album's title.
Too bad it takes 10 songs of going back and forth for the girl to stay with him in the final song.
Patrice Kubik can be reached at patrice.kubik@student.shu.edu.
