Yellowcard’s newest self-titled album, Yellowcard, has been sitting in my music library for months. Since September, I have been hesitant to give the entire album a full listen. Toward the tail end of June, Yellowcard announced that this would be their final album and they would tour the world one last time. I have always jammed to their album Ocean Avenue, and I still love it to this day. Hearing that their self titled album would be their last, I stopped what I was doing, cried, and made it my personal mission to see them live one time.

Yellowcard has been a band for almost twenty years, and ever since the beginning, there has been a rotating line up. Besides Sean Mackin on violin and Ryan Key on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, no founding members of the band remain. That being said, Mackin and Key were only on the first Yellowcard album as guests, and not official members of the band. Currently, the band consists of Key, Ryan Mendez, Mackin, and Josh Portman. They recently started to embark on their final world tour, and they will play for the final time as a band in March in California.

Yellowcard starts with their first single released from this album, “Rest in Peace.” Right off the bat, the mood of the album is defined. The theme of goodbyes and old memories is set, and continues throughout the entirety of the album in lyrics. “Rest in Peace” is not only catchy, but showcases the type of music all listeners fell in love with: catchy pop-punk songs with the odd, but fitting, element of violin. The album continues with two fast tempo songs “What Appears” and “Got Yours.” The beat and overall vibe of these songs can transport the listener to Van’s Warped Tour and all the activities occurring throughout the day.

The album then slows down quickly, with “Leave a Light On.” The song is produced well and provides an array of emotions for the listener, but I wish the element of violin would have been more prominent in this stripped back song. The next tracks include similar elements of the previous song, a very chill and stripped back sound. I am definitely a fan of acoustic, but I just wish that their final album would have included more intense and unique electric guitar riffs, which was one the reasons I fell in love with this band. However, I can’t complain much; these songs got me ready to say goodbye to the band. My only complaint about the less energetic songs is the lengthy outros. For example, I thought the song “The Hurt Is Gone” was good, until I got to the unneeded two minute outro.

The album finally gains energy again with the second to last track, “Savior’s Robes.” This song gave me the energy I was craving after five laid back songs and was well placed in the album. Finally, the album closes with “Fields & Fences.” This song was the most emotional for me to listen to, and it was the perfect way to close an album and career. The lyrics urge the listener they’re “not alone,” and will forever have the memories of the band and old songs to listen to. The song is almost seven  minutes, and even then I didn’t want the song to end. The changes in tempo encompass the perfect amount of emotion and keeps the listener craving for more lyrics, and more Yellowcard. The song ends perfectly, with the outro starting with all instruments and then ending with just the violin of Mackin.

Overall, this album wasn’t what I expected, but I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I came into it hoping for the upbeat sound of Yellowcard I love, and instead got something completely different. It was the perfect way for me to prepare to say goodbye to one of the bands that I love so much, and they couldn’t have wrapped up their story in a better way. Now that I finally gathered the strength to listen to a new Yellowcard album for the first last time, this album will be one of my most played.