Say the words "April 2008" to any Yellowcard fan, and you'll be opening a can of worms you wish you didn't come anywhere near. When the band said in an interview they were going on an "indefinite hiatus" after a short acoustic tour, it sent shockwaves of sadness through the hearts of fans the band once helped to mend with their uplifting, catchy blend of pop-punk and straight-up rick. Two years later, after they saw bands like The Maine, Mayday Parade, and countless others saturate the summertime pop-punk they revolutionized, the band were done focusing on their personal lives, and it was time to re-emerge and attempt to take back the throne they left vacant that fateful April. Now, a short eight months after the official announcement of their reformation (that was on August 1, 2010), the band have wasted no time in coming out with new material as a reward for their fans' patience. But is When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes going to be able to satisfy fans waiting over four years since 2007's Paper Walls, or will it just leave fans longing for the band's pre-hiatus glory days?
Fret not, Yellowcard fans: they're back, and the throne is theirs for the taking.
When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes is, at its core, a pure rock album, but that doesn't mean the pop-punk elements that made Yellowcard so great aren't still there. Album opener "The Sound of You and Me" builds slowly into a fast-paced pop-punk song, while keeping the arena-ready sound that the band expanded upon on Paper Walls. Undoubtedly the main reason Yellowcard was able to rise above the rest when they were around before, Sean Mackin's violin opens lead single "For You, and Your Denial," and its at this point the listener is likely to lose any doubt that the band may have lost a step after not putting out any new material in about four years. As a whole, the album is a crisp offering of radio-ready, yet still heartfelt, pop-punk/rock. "For You, and Your Denial" seems to be the perfect choice for album's lead single, as no other song combines the kind of punch to catch someone's attention, and the catchy chorus to keep that attention all the way through. "For You, and Your Denial" also begins to produce what could be the best musical aspect of the album as well: the violin and lead guitar duels that take place throughout the album that create a very enjoyable listening experience, and with the re-addition of LP's signature drumming, When You're Through Thinking quickly puts itself into the discussion as Yellowcard's best album, musically speaking.
The overall theme of When You're Through Thinking seems to be letting go of the things that hold people down: from the weight of a failing relationship ("For You, and Your Denial"), letting go long after you should have ("Hang You Up"), the grief of losing a loved one ("See Me Smiling"), letting go of loved ones to be on the road ("Life of Leaving Home"), and an overall refusal to let go of your youth ("Be the Young," "With You Around"), the album seems to be a therapeutic release for the band, who let all of the pent-up energy waiting to record again out in a fury of songs that vary in tempo to pluck every single of your heartstrings. "For You, and Your Denial" and "With You Around" are going to be perfect songs to play with the top down this summer, while "Hang You Up" and "Sing for Me" are slower, moodier songs that anyone with a pulse can relate to and feel something about afterwards. "Soundtrack" and "Life of Leaving Home" are poised to become fan favorites, as they both become very fast-paced and fun songs to dance around to during what will hopefully be an extended amount of touring the band is about to undertake.
When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes has so many strengths that finding a weakness in the album (if I had to pick one, it would be that LP seems a bit underused at times) would simply be nit-picking at an album that will quickly become a favorite of fans old and new, while Yellowcard continues to push themselves creatively while still keeping their youthful energy, pop-punk stylings, and catchy choruses. If there was still doubt that the band will never be anything more than "Ocean Avenue," When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes will go a long way to proving just how good of a band Yellowcard is, and always has been.
Bottom Line: Some people will say this album is the next logical step in the band's progression after Paper Walls, others will say its their return to Ocean Avenue form, but the only way to really describe it is with three simple words: Yellowcard is back.
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