With "Southern Air," Yellowcard Returns With A Bang

"I can't believe that I still care enough to write," sings Ryan Key in "Awakening," the opening track to Yellowcard's latest album Southern Air. With the way the band's career has progressed, you'd have a hard time disagreeing with him.

The year was 2008. Just a few short months after releasing Paper Walls to high critical acclaim, Capitol Records, the band's record label, suddenly announced they would no longer be promoting the album. With only one single released, Yellowcard and Capitol cut ties. Soon after, the band stated they would be going on an indefinite hiatus. Five years after Yellowcard broke through to the mainstream with Ocean Avenue (and the quirkiness of being the only pop/punk band with a violin), the future of the band hung in the balance.

Flashforward to 2012. After years of soul searching, Yellowcard returned to the music industry in a big way. To the delight of fans and critics alike, the band's comeback album, When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes, received universal praise. Coming off a worldwide tour encompassing 30 countries in 9 months, the band decided to feed off the positive energy by heading back into the studio to record Southern Air, an album that explores the band’s southern roots. With the help of an enormous buzz generated by fans, Yellowcard may well have delivered its magnum opus.

"Awakening" begins the album by bluntly describing the hardships the band has endured: "I give this one to you an anthem full of truth/ I tell you now an epic tale of what you put me through". A massive chorus and an even more epic bridge make "Awakening" a tough act to follow. "Surface of the Sun" expertly holds the momentum produced by the opener. Possibly the most "rock" song the band has ever written, the band's vocalist and lyricist Ryan Key combines an addictive guitar lick with powerful lyrics (with one line alluding to a quote from Yoda - a nod to one of Key's favorite movie series).

The band turns to a more fan friendly sound with "Always Summer," while still retaining the edge of the previous tracks. "Always Summer" epitomizes everything there is to love about Yellowcard: sunny guitar lines, meaningful vocals, and well-placed violin melodies by Sean Mackin. Even the most casual of fans can enjoy the breezy summer jam that is "Always Summer."

"Here I Am Alive", the first official single, might be the catchiest track the band has written since "Ocean Avenue". Co-written by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, the song features Tay Jardine of We Are In The Crowd on backing vocals. An excellent choice for a single, "Here I Am Alive" may well help Yellowcard recapture the mainstream success it was once accustomed to.

One of the more interesting tracks, "Sleep In the Snow," showcases the band's knack for outstanding arrangements. A pulsing verse in 5/4 time coupled with an ambitious chorus provide for a booming high point of the album. Lead singer Ryan Key ends the song with a surprisingly addictive falsetto outro to make "Sleep In the Snow" all the more impressive.

The second half of the album begins with "A Vicious Kind," which catches the listener with a snarling yet addictive hook: "I want you to know I'm not sorry at all." "Telescope" serves as the sole power ballad of Southern Air and takes a more reflective approach than its predecessors. In it, Key addresses his late aunt, who he cites as a major inspiration in his musical career. (The track also features guest appearances by Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday, and Tay Jardine.)

While the first seven tracks are exceptional in their own right, it is the final trio of songs that solidify "Southern Air" the Yellowcard's greatest achievement.

The triumvirate begins with "Rivertown Blues," a track reminiscent of the band's early work on their debut album One for the Kids. "Rivertown Blues" is a testament to the excellent instrumentation that each member brings to the band. New bassist Josh Portman unleashes a bass line that is the backbone of the song, while Sean Mackin compliments the vocals with a roaming violin. Drummer Longineu Parsons lays down a drum track that solidifies the notion that he is one of the best in his genre. The ending guitar solo from Ryan Mendez may be one the hardest hitting and most technical arrangements on the album as a whole.

The emotional denouement of Southern Air comes on "Ten," a gut wrenching ballad with a country influence that features David Immerglück of the Counting Crows on slide guitar. Key sings about the pain of losing a child, and asks "Don't you think we would have been best friends?" "Ten" ranks as the Yellowcard's most emotional song to date and reveals a vulnerability the band rarely shows. However, it is this exposed vulnerability that makes the closing track all the more effective.

In true, clichéd fashion, Yellowcard saves the best for last. The title track "Southern Air" can only be described by one word: epic. Marked by stellar production from the band's longtime producer Neil Avron, "Southern Air" reeks of confidence and gives a definitive ending to a flawless album.

Rarely can a band already a decade into its career reinvent itself. Ten years removed from the breakthrough album Ocean Avenue, Yellowcard has managed this feat. Southern Air is an album of rebirth. It's about rediscovering your roots. Most of all, it's about finding the strength to continue chasing the dream. From a man who, earlier, couldn't believe he still had the drive to write music, Key closes the final track, and album, with remarkable confidence. Backed by only a guitar, Southern Air ends with a simple, yet profound declaration:

"This southern air is in my lungs, it's in every word I've sung/ Seems the only truth I know, this will always be home."