Yellowcard moved from Florida to California, not to Orange county, the hotbed of so many current pop-punk bands like blink 182 and offspring, but to Ventura County, which is a couple counties over. Appropriate, considering while they definitely sound a lot like those bands, they're a more serious, studied, brainy band. In fact, listening further convinces that they're not really a pop-punk band at all, but an emo one. Whatever they are, it's a nice combination of the upbeat and catchy music that's one of the defining qualities of pop-punk, the sensitivity of emo with an uplifting message. And, to add another wrinkle, most songs feature violin. Highlights are the first cut, the radio-friendly "Way Away", the mid-tempo title track, which has one of the catchiest guitar riffs I've heard in a while, the sweet "Life Of A Salesman" which is obviously an ode to the lyricist's father; and very catchy "Miles Apart". The second half features a couple more uplifting songs "View From Heaven" and "Believe", but doesn't fare quite as well overall as the first.

By Ryan Long
Nov 15, 2003