McCafferty
Yarn


3.5
great

Review

by ian b. USER (42 Reviews)
March 24th, 2018 | 111 replies


Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Mccafferty start to venture for their own sound after widening their influences.

Whenever I think of bands that are personally the “worst” in a certain scene, I never answer with whatever band or artist I think sounds the most obnoxious or outlandishly annoying necessarily. Rather, I typically answer with a project that I feel contributes to their scene so ridiculously little that I feel like it has actually taken away from whatever scene is in question. McCafferty used to be a band that fit into that mold for me, not just because I thought they were an inferior alternative to The Front Bottoms (whom I thought were already terrible enough after they signed to Fueled by Ramen), but because they had seemed to be one of these new bands being pigeonholed into the new wave of RockSound/AltPress obsessed bands like Waterparks, Moose Blood (who is headlining McCafferty’s upcoming tour), or State Champs. When I had actually went to check their earlier material, I couldn’t shake how generic and lame it sounded at the time. It had just made me want to go check out a band that actually did what McCafferty were trying to do better like Microwave or Can’t Swim. There may had been some talent hidden throughout some of the vocal harmonies or inventive riffing being trickled in between, but there needed to be more substance on future material to really win me over. Though, I will admit there is still a ways to go for McCafferty in the long run, Yarn is a wonderful step in the right direction for the band in their future expansion of sound,

The main point of this record though, if there is only one point to make, is that it seems to have two identities. Part of this identity is a mesh of this “newer McCafferty” with tinges of their older sound, unable to shake off the Blink-182-ripoff-itis, which is still present on some tracks like “Yarn” and “Windmill” quite prominently as the power chords hammer away. Don’t get me wrong though, there are some incredible variations in sound for the band on here, namely on tracks like “Westboro Sadness” which samples an angelic choir vocal passage, before jumping full on into an early 80’s inspired punk sound that captivates the listener throughout its short 2 minute runtime. The other identity of McCafferty shown here however, displays their more adventurous tendencies, which gets more of the forefront on tracks like “Mary Z” and single “Strain” which both respectably serve as interesting departures for the band. These tracks also serve to show the band’s chemistry to be able to work kitschy and slightly experimental alt-rock-isms into their catchy pop punk/emo foundation. Perhaps the most interesting departure though, is the closing track “Toewgmo” which sees vocalist Nick Hartkop taking the spotlight in the mix (for once) and gives a Mark Kozelek-esque ramble before the album ends on a near-bombastic, yet also peaceful piece of catharsis. While the rest of the record doesn’t nearly live up to its end per se, and some of it is lacking in the creativity department, it still serves as a somewhat consistently thought-out piece of alt-rock laden pop punk, and Yarn serves as a great benchmark for what McCafferty could have in the works in the coming years.



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user ratings (55)
3.3
great

Comments:Add a Comment 
ianblxdsoe
March 24th 2018


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

hi i'm not dead school sucks and so does being a sad overworked adolescent anyways constructive criticism is appreciated ty ty much love i know my writing is a tad rusty

JWT155
March 24th 2018


14969 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Fun album, but very one dimensional and not much depth past the angsty forefront. Still very enjoyable and a lot of room for growth.

ianblxdsoe
March 24th 2018


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

yeah i agree, especially if i didn't listen to this record in full, i probably would have thought they were even more one-sided than before tbh even if it is different

JWT155
March 24th 2018


14969 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Well written review though man.

ianblxdsoe
March 24th 2018


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

thanks man!! :'))

Papa Universe
March 24th 2018


22502 Comments


How do I make a POS pun out of that title? mcPOSerty?

ramon.
March 24th 2018


4204 Comments


Was this Review Well Written? Yar | N(o)

AsleepInTheBack
Staff Reviewer
March 24th 2018


10447 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Couple of things:

At least on my mobile, this thing has no paras, which makes it hard to read, though I don't know if that's an issue for anyone else

McCafferty, not Mccafferty (if I'm being a picky little sod, which I am)

Also I resent the opening passage a little. I feel like its needlessly belittling and (imo) hard to defend. But that's just opinions



Good to see you reviewing again fren

Papa Universe
March 24th 2018


22502 Comments


"Was this Review Well Written? Yar | N(o)"
Now that's a pun all dads in the world will applaud to. Kudos.

onionbubs
March 24th 2018


22172 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

great review. I loved this and am even more excited for what's to come from them in the future

redrig
March 24th 2018


231 Comments


I liked their early stuff more their last two albums tbh.
This one is very repetitive in lyrics and full of OHOHOHs for no reason.
Also whats with those long outros in almost every song, this is not post-rock boys.

ianblxdsoe
March 24th 2018


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

thanks for all the kind words guys!! and @asleep the paras are and have been separated?? maybe it’s a glitch oof, also fixed the band name thing just for you lmao



ALSO thanks to the band themselves for retweeting out my tweet of this rev what a bunch of swell fellas

Atari
Staff Reviewer
March 24th 2018


28009 Comments


actually got some Is A Real Boy vibes from this

AsleepInTheBack
Staff Reviewer
March 24th 2018


10447 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Cheers ian haha. Yeah the paras look good now too, don't know if you changed anything



Cool as shit that the band retweeted it

AsleepInTheBack
Staff Reviewer
March 24th 2018


10447 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

Is a real boy comparisons got me hyped

Atari
Staff Reviewer
March 24th 2018


28009 Comments


It’s unique in its own way, but the lyrics/delivery reminded me of that album several times

Snake.
March 24th 2018


25376 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0

fuck this band

ianblxdsoe
March 24th 2018


1921 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

yeah i can see the Is A Real Boy comparisons p easily and hahah thanks ben

Ebola
March 25th 2018


4574 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Windmill is SOTY

BlushfulHippocrene
Staff Reviewer
March 25th 2018


4053 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

OVER OVER AND OVER AND OVER OVER AGAIN

I WANNA FUCK WITH THE PARTY, I WANNA FUCK WITH THE MEN




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