Yellowcard returns with new album "Paper Walls"

YELLOWCARD

RETURNS WITH "PAPER WALLS"

 Breakthrough rockers Yellowcardreturn with new album Paper

Walls on July 17^th, the third in a trilogy of albums

that includes 2006's gold-certified Lights and Sounds and their 2003 smash, Ocean Avenue.  The

band will join the 2007 Vans Warped Tour from June 29 – July 19, with

more summer live dates to be announced soon.  A full list of confirmed tour

dates is below.

Yellowcard emerged from Jacksonville,

Florida with a completely

infectious and original blend of rock, punk and classical (owing to violinist

Sean Mackin) that made them a sure thing to break out of the pack, but even the

band could not have imagined how far.

With a string of successful indie releases, a tireless touring schedule

and a steamrolling fan base the band made their Capitol Records debut with

2003's Ocean Avenue. 

The album was a smash, spawning huge hit singles, sold-out tours in the U.S.

and abroad, an MTV Video Music Award and has sold over 2.5 million copies

worldwide.  2006's gold-certified Lights

and Sounds – an even bigger-sounding, more expansive and

harder-edged album – was released to rave reviews, showcasing the

band's diversity as songwriters and once again sending them circling the

globe.

But with the success some darkness fell – the loss of founding

guitarist Ben Harper, major vocal surgery for frontman Ryan Key, and general

fatigue from years and years spent at breakneck speed had the group frazzled.

After some badly-needed time off the band regrouped in a Los Angeles studio with a

new plan: to have NO plan besides simply coming together for the sheer joy of

writing and playing music.  To get back to their roots, write songs for their

own sake, and everything else was gravy.

Those sessions yielded the songs which would become Paper Walls.   Drawing from both the

universal, buoyant, hook-filled style of Ocean

Avenue and the tougher edges of Lights

and Sounds, Paper Wallstakes it all a step further with an energized, anthemic and forward-looking set

of songs.  The album reunites the band with producer Neal Avron, who produced

the band's previous two albums, and also marks the recording debut of

guitarist Ryan Mendez, who joined the group during the Lights and Sounds tour.

"This album is the sound of five musicians in a room having a

great time and writing the music that we love," said Key.  "We feel

like the luckiest guys in the world to be able to do this."

Album-opener "The Takedown" starts with a shot – an indelible

guitar hook and ferocious drums charge forth as Yellowcard's trademark

mix of airtight vocal harmonies, entwined guitar lines and flourishes of violin

crackle with energy.  "Fighting" brings together the band's

many strengths – tight, melodic, propulsive riffs gather steam before

launching into an epic, undeniable chorus.

Lead single "Light Up the Sky" has an even more massive payoff,

its refrain won't leave your head in this lifetime, but allows for some

ringing dissonance beneath it all.  "Dear Bobbie" is a sweet, wistful

ode featuring Key's real-life grandfather reading a love letter to his

wife of 58 years. "Shadows and Regrets" fades in as a gorgeous

ballad before chimes and sweeping strings elevate the song's stunning

melody to great heights.  And album-closing title track "Paper

Walls" starts with an angelic female choir and simple, strummed guitar

before it too takes flight with buzzing guitars and a surging chorus that grips

until the final chord.

A deluxe CD/DVD version of Paper

Walls will also be available featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes

footage of the band, extensive photo gallery and two additional live bonus

tracks.