Album Review: Yellowcard - 'When You're Through Thinking Say Yes Acoustic'

19 November 2011 | 10:39 am | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

More than just a bunch of acoustic versions.

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Yellowcard’s fifth record, ‘When You’re Through Thinking Say Yes,’ which was released earlier this year, was hailed by both fans and critics as a return to form for the Florida rockers. As a thankyou to fans for the kind response the band decided to re-record the entire album in an acoustic format.

Rather than simply recording the songs again with some acoustic guitars and a few shakers for good measure, the effort has been put in to make these versions as extravagant as the “acoustic” tag will allow. An extra stellar performance has been given on the percussion side of things from drummer Longineu Parsons, who sounds like he would have had the most fun on this project expanding his instrument range and experimenting quite a bit.

Ryan Key’s vocals are kept fairly quiet in comparison to his usual vocal style and whilst the gimmick of the band with a violin may be their trademark in the rock world, it could not suit this acoustic format any better.

Since the majority of the songs written for the record began on an acoustic guitar when originally created, transposing them back into this format would not have been tricky. No one song sounds out of place or forced into a quieter setting, in fact some of these versions are even better than the originals, in particular the layered Hang You Up and Soundtrack. The latter being a good example of the energy that is still captured in these versions.

The guitar work throughout the record would have to be one of the standout elements, especially in Life Of Leaving Home. The vocal melodies are kept true to the originals so the main deviation between this record and the normal version can be found in the guitars, which steal the show and really turn the songs into something special.

Your enjoyment of this album will depend on how you approach it, the ideal situation is obviously for those who are familiar with the original record and will know the ways in which the songs have changed. The effort that has clearly been put into this album however makes it one of the finer acoustic records ever made.

1. The Sound Of You And Me

2. For You, And Your Denial

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3. With You Around

4. Hang You Up

5. Life Of Leaving Home

6. Hide

7. Soundtrack

8. Sing For Me

9. See Me Smiling

10. Be The Young