This is by far Yellowcard's best album. Anyone who can listen to alternative rock would love it. Yellowcard have drifted away from their pop punk style and completely switched gears on this one, which separates them from bands like Simple Plan and Green Day. I will go through each song one-by-one for you.
01 - THREE FLIGHTS UP
This is a quick little intro to the album, featuring good classical piano and violin. I don't really have much to say about this track since it's just a quick instrumental. I give it a 2.5/5
02 - LIGHTS AND SOUNDS
This is the first single and title track from the CD. Kicks off with a riff style unknown to punk bands and gives you a more alternative feel. The verses are sung well with the beat and style and the choruses are catchy and well-done, but the bridge brings it down with flase effects and repetiveness. This song gets 3.5/5.
03 - DOWN ON MY HEAD
This a very catchy and really good-sounding song. The chorus does bring it down a bit but not too much, the song almost brings yu back to the Ocean Avenue days and goes good with the album. This song gets 4.4/5.
04 - SURE THING FALLING
This is another song that kicks off with a more alternative riff and heavy chords. The verse slows down, but isn't up to standard witht he rest of the song. The chorus however, is really well done and features great vocals and heavy guitar rythms. After 2 of these the song breaks down into a punk-like chord set, which then goes to the intro riff and back to the chorus, which songs extremely good, transition0-wise. The song is pretty good, except for the verses, I give it a 3.5/5.
05 - CITY OF DEVILS
Here comes the first soft song on the album. Placed nicely after 2 alternative tracks and one punkish-type song. This is a very good song up front and definately grows on you if you do not like it at first. It features appropiate guitar riffs and rythms, while Ryan sings very well-written lyrics, giving the song a darker feel with the instruments. The song quickly picks up to a quick chorus, where the instruments "fill" more and gives the song a heightened sound and feel. The bridge features great violin playing and more agressive vocals that suit the new sound to the song. The song quickly slows down to the verse-style before a final chorus, longer than the first two but similar in sound, then provides a nice outro. The song gets 4.5/5.
06 - ROUGH LANDING, HOLLY (LET HER GO)
The second single from the album. Starts off right away with quick paced violin and alternative chords, which jumps right into the verse. The verse is very fast paced with a great guitar and vocal rythm but then goes into a chorus that brings down the song slightly. The chorus just doesn't fit the speed and style of he rest of the song, which is disappointing, but then once it ends the song gets back to pace until the second chorus, later breaking into a punk riff with some background drums, which then goes into a final chorus, better suited than the first 2 and ends the song well. This song gets 4/5.
07 - TWO WEEKS FROM TWENTY
Here we take another break from the faster and heavier stuff. The song is about a young man who joins the army but is then killed. It kicks off with a unique guitar style then goes into the verse which keeps the pace but lessens on the style a little, then goes back into the opening guitar style with a very well done and catchy chorus. After 2 of those the song breaks into a classic and lightly distorted guitar solo, very appropriate for the song. The song then breaks down to slowly strummed chords then picks up to the chorus again which leads into a sacephone solo, finishing off the song in a classic style ending. The song gets 4.5/5.
08 - WAITING GAME
This is the first song on the album that I award 5/5 to, this is where the CD really starts to reach its climax. It starts with a quick violin fill and slow, heavy chords. Which leads into a verse with quick guitar fills and a good drum line and then goes into a built-up pre-chorus which really puts the song together well. The chorus comes which feature sinsane drumming skills and a very good vocal range, giving the whole song a really good and sadder feel. The bridge features a neat bass line with violin and a quick guitar fill in the background behind vocals that are a little too catchy for the song but are still good, which breaks into another slow, heavy interlude, much like the intro. The song finishes off with a doubled chorus, showing even more of a range, which finishes with a very-well drummed outro. This song gets 5/5.
09 - MARTIN SHEEN OR JFK
Another insane song on the album, that really supports its climax. It starts off right away with a quick guitar fill then right away into a verse with catchy drums and occasional chords, topped with appropiate and well-done vocals. An interlude then comes in, leading tot he chorus, which is definately somethign to hear. Sporting amazing vocals and little background fills that give a cool feel. After the second chorus the song really slows down into a really nice-sounding bridge with melodic guitar and solemn violin and very good singing, which leads into a nice instrument break, then into a build up with well-ranged vocals, which then goes into a third chorus after a doubled interlude. This chorus really ends the song well, doubling itself with more range the second time around. The song gets 5/5.
10 - SPACE TRAVEL
This is a really neat song with a funky bass line and clever guitar notes like that of "Two Weeks From Twenty". The vocals come in after the guitar stopps and go well with the song. The song goes into the pre-chorus but makes you wait through another verse and pre-chorus before the first chorus comes in. The chorus is really well-done and is a fuller sound than the rest of the song, adding a balance to it. After another verse, pre-chorus and chorus slows down with well-played violin and little clips of astronauts talking, the drums keep the speed of the song somehwat though, we then take a quick vocal break done by Ryan Key then go right into the final chorus and then an outro/chorus type thing with well-ranged vocals and good for the ending of the song. The song gets 4.5/5.
11 - GREY
On first listen this was my favourite song on the album. It starts off with some neat chords and then goes into a faster intro with alternative chords and a strange set of bended notes, but still sounds good. The verse then comes around with nice drumming and picks up halfway through with some-more guitar chords, which then slows down into a quick interlude, leading into a quick bridge qhich is my favourite part of the song, good vocals and good instruments which resemble that of the heavier part of the intro. After a second verse we hear the first chorus, which adds good balance and a nice feel to the song and a background violin track. The song quickly slows down to just violin and vocals then picks up right away wasting no time, leading into a second chorus. Which flows nicely into another bridge, like that of the first except longer and with overlayed vocals from the first verse. This song gets 5/5.
12 - WORDS, HANDS, HEARTS
This is where the song really slows down until the end. The song starts off with clean chords with drum breaks, and Ryan key singing well-written lyrics. The chorus comes in and suits the song well, a slower and less heavier chorus. A second verse comes around but is added in sound and style more than the first. After a second chorus the song slows down a little more with really well done vocals and clever guitar, with leads into a sguitar olo on top of that rythm. The song then jumps into another verse and chorus. I give this song a 3.5/5.
13 - HOW I GO
This is another real slow song and is my least favourite on the album. What saves this song si the very catchy and well-written lyrics persisting throughout the entire 4 and a half minutes of the song. The song starts with piano and catchy vocals then come sin with drums during the first chorus, acoustic guitar, violin and drums then come in for the second verse, picking up the song nicely. But right about here is where the song goes downhill when the singer from the Dixie Chicks comes in, her voice suits the song but it just isn't my cup of tea. The bridge features great drum-playing and duetted singing, then breaks into violin . The song then really slows down to sloely background acoustic guitar and vocals doen by both singers in melody and harmony. The piano comes in half way through building up tot he final chorus, which si heightened in sound and vocals from the previous ones, then finishing with a final bridge. I gotta admit that this song did grow on me somewhat. I give it a 3/5.
14 - HOLLYWOOD DIED
Wow, what a closer this song is. It starts off with rythmic vocals and guitar that sport depressing lyrics, then picking up with added guitar and drums. The chorus then comes in with heavy and fast chords, and introduces the violin in the song. A second verse comes int hat resembles the second half of the first, then a chorus that is identical tot he first. The song then breaks into a quick guoitar solo while keeping the chorus pace and sporting background screams by bassist Pete Mosley. The song then goes into a two-second vocal break then back into another chorus but doubled with backup vocals. The song ends with a lengthly outro with rythmic guitar, drums and violin, which breaks down to solely violin, finishing the song and this amazing album. This song gets 5/5.
So overall I give the album 4.5/5, I awarded 5/5's to 4 songs and nothing less than 3/5 to any song (excluding the album intro, 3 flights up). This is definately an album to pick up no matter what kind of music you may like.
