“No rest for the wicked, they say” – the bridge of the opening track ‘Awakening’ sums it all up. A year after the release of their comeback album, Yellowcard are right back at it with Southern Air. From the opener’s punch in the heart right through to the closing title track, this is definitely Yellowcard’s strongest and most diverse album yet – bright but with dark undertones and production crisper than a fresh Granny Smith, Southern Air proves that Yellowcard don’t need a long hiatus to create strong songs. Vocalist Ryan Key is at his best, hitting the highest of highs in ‘Surface Of The Sun’ and a perfect falsetto in the melancholic ‘Sleeping in The Snow’. Lyrically, this album screams of nostalgia but has its moments of darkness – best displayed in ‘Ten’. Each song is as catchy as the last and the violin is spot on. Yellowcard have proved their violin flavoured pop/punk stylings are a winner.
Hopeless Records
4/5
Reviewer: Sean Degan