Lights and Sounds

Yellowcard

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 24, 2006)
• Original Release Date: January 24, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• Copy Protected
• ASIN: B000CNGCCK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (160 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,337 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Lights and Sounds is a statement of intent: Yellowcard has grown up. Never "just kids" to begin with, the California-by-way-of-Florida quintet tackles thornier subjects than on 2003's Ocean Avenue, while taking a more ambitious approach towards their already proficient musicianship. Sean Mackin's surprisingly well integrated violin playing has always been a big part of their sound, but now they've upped the ante. Their third album doesn't just open with a pretty piano-based instrumental ("Three Flights Up"), but leads to a 25-piece orchestra, along with Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, on "How I Go." It may sound pretentious, but they make the unusual combination (pop-punk plus classical) work. On their second major label effort, Yellowcard comes across as serious to be sure--and this is nothing new--but not pretentious or silly. Affairs of the heart are as important as ever, but charismatic frontman Ryan Key has other matters on his mind. On "Two Weeks from Twenty," featuring Printz Board of the Black Eyed Peas, he sings, "We lost another one that we sent with a gun / They're gonna miss him he was two weeks from twenty." Then on "Words, Hands, Hearts," he laments, "The whole world is different now men have died." No longer bright-eyed teenagers, Yellowcard hasn't lost hope and their compassion remains boundless, but the times have changed, and so have they. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Lights and Sounds is a bigger, broader album from their platinum debut album Ocean Avenue, that finds Yellowcard moving away from songs about breakups and onto more expansive themes of artifice, war, and adulthood. The guitars are tougher, the songs more intricate and encompass a wider spectrum of musical styles, which is evident in the title track.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Correction on Editor's Note, January 24, 2006

By	Nicole Francisco (FL, USA) - See all my reviews

I am doing my best not to compare Lights + Sounds to Ocean Avenue. Yellowcard does sound much broader on this release, and their musical styhle has grown beautifully. Not all of the songs have stuck to me on the first listen, but I'm sure it will grow on me.

But in a comment about the Editor's Note, Ocean Avenue was NOT Yellowcard's debut album. They've had three previously -- Where We Stand, The Underdog, and One for the Kids. The reason many may think Ocean Avenue was their first release is because that is the most well known. I would recommend checking out their other releases, as well.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Much Better Than I Expected, 3.5 stars, February 4, 2006

By	Musac Critic - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Being a fan of the punk-pop scene, there are a ton of bands competing just to get mainstream and commercial success. Yellowcard entered the punk-pop scene when it was already saturated with many other established, commercial acts. Green Day, Blink-182, Simple Plan (by the time their OCEAN AVENUE album became popular), Good Charlotte, among others. Many chided Yellowcard while others applauded. Having not been an avid follower of Yellowcard, I expected just another pop-punk band looking for the mainstream success of Better, more established bands. Despite any odds that Yellowcard has had as a band, LIGHTS AND SOUNDS shows that the band has overcame those odds to make a truly credible rock album.

LIGHTS AND SOUNDS instantly grabs your attention because it starts with an instrumental track called "Three Flights Up". "Three Flights Up" features nice melodic piano lines which sound like "lights and sounds" coincidentally. It provides a nice atmosphere for the album to begin. In fact, the instrumental introduction is reminiscent on Coldplay's sound as well as the introduction on Coheed and Cambria's latest album where lush strings are used very effectively.

The momentum from the opening track continues on into the second track, "Lights And Sounds" which has a very punk feel. The biggest drawback to the song is that you feel that it is just a good punk song and not a very innovative one. The first song "Lights And Sounds" also showcases the major advantages of the entire album and that is the hooky nature of the album. There is always a hook that grasps the audience even if the songwriting grows dull (as it does on tracks "Sure Thing Falling", "Martin Sheen or JFK", and "Words, Hands, Hearts").

Other notable tracks from the album (there are more notable one than non-notable ones) are "City of Devils", "Rough Landing, Holly", "Two Weeks From Twenty", "Waiting Game", and "Space Travel". "City of Devils" shows some of the most mature writing of the album with very nice string arrangements supporting the guitars and etc... "Two Weeks From Twenty" uses very non-standard writing that makes this song very distinct from any others that Yellowcard has done. Other songs on LIGHTS AND SOUNDS such as "Down On My Head", "Grey", "How I Go", and "Holly Wood Died" aren't particular stand outs, but they aren't terrible either. They are average at the most.

Reading many reviews of this particular album, I am inclined to agree with what the reviews have stated as the score. This album is above average, yet it isn't quite an exceptional album say the likes of AMERICAN IDIOT by Green Day, BLINK-182 by Blink-182, or etc... 3.5 stars for a very good album by Yellowcard.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Yellowcard breaks free of their pop-punk shackles, January 28, 2006

By	M. Manzella "A Lover of All Things Music" (North Riverside, Il United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like everyone, I had extremely high hopes for this album. On first listen you're like "Is this Yellowcard?" This very different from Ocean Avenue. And it IS a less enjoyable album than Ocean Avenue. But you appreciate it. I respect them for making something completely different and not just going with the flow regardless of what the kids or the critics think.

Here's what I didn't like though...
-The first single, Lights & Sounds is a very mediocre song, there are so many others on this album that would've been better.
-The appearance of the leather jacket(in every promo photo and the L&S video) just screams A and R
-The violinist! One of the main things that make this band different from the rest, he's very subdued on this album. It's a shame.
-Words Hands Hearts sounds very "Okay I'm gonna try and write an anti-war song"

Standout tracks:
"Down On My Head"
"Two Weeks From Twenty"
"How I Go"

I'd recommend buying this if your a YC fan and especially if you're not. This is no Ocean Avenue, it something more, even if you can tell they tried way too hard.