So this review was a little tough for me to write. Not because I love or hate Yellowcard, but more because I find myself somewhere in the middle. Actually, less on the love-hate scale, but more in the whole “somewhat indifferent” category. You see, back in the day during Yellowcard’s initial run of success, I really dug their album Ocean Avenue (just like anybody else who loved pop punk during the early 2000s). It was catchy, punchy, energetic and who would have ever guessed that a violin with be such a distinctive addition to the traditional guitar/bass/drums formula.

After Ocean Avenue, I heard parts of the two subsequent albums, but honestly, by that point my musical tastes had moved on. To this day, I still have a place in my heart for pop punk, but it’s mostly filled by MxPx, Craig’s Brother, and New Found Glory.

Which brings us to this latest album from Yellowcard. Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, knowing that I don’t spend as much time as I used to listening to this style of music. In short, if you love Yellowcard, I can guarantee that you’ll want to get this album. All of the trademark elements that made Yellowcard’s sound in the past are present here. It’s upbeat, downright catchy, and a pretty solid listen for close to 40 minutes. That said, it’s also nothing new. There’s nothing here that’s really breaking new ground for these guys. Of course, after being on hiatus for a few years, I’m sure simply hearing new music from them is enough for their hardcore fans.

For me? I enjoy this for what it is, but I doubt I’ll be revisiting it very often. If anything, it makes me long for the side project that lead singer Ryan Key and bassist Sean O’Donnell were working on before Yellowcard reformed. They had started a group called Big If. The music from Big If (demos released online) was somewhat similar to Yellowcard’s, but it also brought in a good influence from O’Donnell’s other band, Reeve Oliver. It was different enough that I was really excited to see what might develop between these two guys. But as it stands, the only completed results from that project may be the lead single from this album, “Hang You Up.”

The existence of that song on this album probably sums up my thoughts on this album in a nutshell: it’s nice to hear something new from Yellowcard, but I was really hoping for a brand new project going in a different direction.