Music Review: Yellowcad Fever

by Erin Lounsbury

Yellowcard catching some rays in the California sun

Yellowcard fever is the newest disease that is sweeping across the East Coast, taking fans by storm with the release of Yellowcard's latest album, Ocean Avenue (Capital Records). The listener may experience symptoms of an unhealthy longing to be in California, or more specifically, on the corner of Cherry Street.

More dramatic symptoms include bleaching your hair like the band's lead singer, Ryan Keys, getting the Yellowcard emblem tattooed on your forearm, or just playing the CD repeatedly until it burns out. Warning: if you experience any of these symptoms, immediately seek medical attention before it becomes too late.

Ocean Avenue proves Yellowcard is not another one of those cheap throw away punk/surf inspired bands. They are much more, from Ryan Keys' intricate lyrical style, Ben Harper's catchy guitar riffs, the drumming patterns of Longineu Parsons, and Sean Mackin's fiddling on the violin to Alex Lewis. It all comes together with that crisp Californian sound resulting in irresistibly catchy tracks like their first single of the album, "Way Away."

The concept of the song could personify the band's big move from Jacksonville, Florida, to California for more opportunities. Keys sings, "There's nothing here for me / It's all the same." The song's video showcases a concept about a boy who wants to break away from the so-called typical life and live out his dream of being in a band. Keys sings with anguished emotion, "Letting out the noise inside of me / Every window pane is shattering / Cutting up my words before I speak / This is how it feels to not believe."

The songs "Breathing," "Ocean Avenue," and "Empty Apartment" are just screaming for radio play. "Breathing" highlights Mackin's talent as a classical violinist. "Ocean Avenue" is probably the catchiest track on the album and it is no wonder they named the album after the song. If the video is just as good as the song, it'll only be a matter of time until Yellowcard crashes MTV's TRL.

"Empty Apartment" slows down the pace of the album, but it works because you can hear the singer's emotion in his voice and the track's instrumental layering is effective in creating a melody that'll stick in your mind. Keys sings, "How's your life / Is it all that you wanted it to be / Does it hurt when you think about me?"

In addition, the bonus footage on the CD allows the listener to access an unreleased video for "Powder," as well as commentary on some of the album's tracks regarding Keys talking about why he wrote "Empty Apartment."

"Life of a Salesman" deals with a boy's relationship with his dad and the questioning of certain ideals. "Only One" sounds reminiscent of The Starting Line as well as Yellowcard's acoustic inspired "One Year, Six Months." However, The Starting Line's lead singer's voice is not as whiny as Keys' voice is when he tries to hit the high notes on some of the songs' verses.

"Back Home," is a catchy track that again sounds like Keys is expressing his lack of adjustment to California and only to go back home and find that everything has changed. However, the mispronouncing of California can get annoying after the tenth listen. In addition, the whole California thing has already been done and more successfully with Phantom Planet's "California," now better known as the theme song from the hit drama "The O.C."

Overall, this CD is a worthy addition to anyone's collection, especially if you like that light, catchy punk rock sound with a twist. The lyrics are original and honest, and the violin along with Keys' emotion gives the band credibility. It's no wonder why MTV picked up a track from this album as the theme song for this season's "Real World/Road Rules Challenge."