Yellowcard are a band which come in for a lot of abuse when people talk about the overexposure and mushiness of our genre. They are seen as a band who excel in earning the yankee dollar and making albums which are cropped and sculpted for the mainstream with silky vocals and low tempo easy going pop punk melodies. But back in 1999 things were very different for Yellowcard. They had two now departed members along with an extremely likeable up-tempo punk sound. But out went the old vocals of Ben Dobson and in came Ryan Key, and the rest is history. Yellowcard became rubbish and releases such as this were buried deep beneath the more accessible âOne for the Kidsâ and the massively successful âOcean Avenueâ, which is a damn shame, because âWhere We Standâ is ten tracks of extremely surprising power punk goodness.
Some have said that this release is purely a cash in for their recently found fame, and that maybe the case, but there is certainly an argument for re-releasing their debut as it ticks all the boxes in areas many look for. To begin with, the sound of the record is just about perfect for the growls of (then) frontman Ben Dobson. His throaty snarls complement the often aggressively paced music perfectly and show that before the MTV sheen, there was a very promising and effective band making fast music full of enticing melodies. But that band is gone, so we have to live with it. Opener ‘Lesson Learned’ is full of energy and opens the album in fantastic fashion, while ‘Time Will Tell’ features a blistering end with the much vaunted violin and guitar going toe to toe in a great trade off of solos. Although decent as a stand-alone track, it does expose certain cracks though. With the majority of the album layered with fast drumming and aggressive vocal sections, the moment the sound is slowed down, something is lost. It doesn’t take away too much from the album, but it does show all is not right when the music shifts down a gear. The vocal arrangements on ‘April 20th’ impress though with ‘Uphill Both Ways’ showcasing more of the anger of Dobson as it begins rather woefully before launching into an all out onslaught which lifts the track from the doldrums. ‘Doesn’t Matter’ is a complete change of direction, seemingly more rooted in a hardcore bed, while ‘Anywhere But Here’ gives the end of the album a lift with yet more impressive drumming and melodies.
Six years on, the album holds up surprisingly well. Yellowcard are but a shadow of there former selves which unfortunately means the fast melodies and gruff vocals are gone and in its place has come a pro tooled sound and all the visits to TRL they can handle. It will be interesting to see how this album is taken though. With the added bonus of a full colour photo album and enhanced live footage in the bands original form, it is a must for the die-hard Yellowcard fan. On the other hand, many of their more recent devotees maybe unaware of some of the older material and will either be enlightened or shocked by their debut album. But for the neutral, I dare say this comes recommended. Banish all thoughts of Yellowcard you currently have and give this debut album a chance, because it isn’t half bad…
Jay
Takeover Records
www.yellowcardrock.com