Ten years after Yellowcard’s album, “Ocean Avenue” came out, they have redone the entire album with only acoustic instruments.
Yellowcard fans adore the newest album, “Ocean Avenue Acoustic”, and they have the right to. I’m glad to say there isn’t a single bad song on either album, acoustic or original. Given some songs are better than others, but each song is unique and a worthwhile listen.
The acoustic album has stayed true to it’s original predecessor by not changing much at all, except for the replacement of all instruments to be acoustic. Though some may find this relieving, I feel that Yellowcard has missed an opportunity to do so much more with their music. Playing acoustic is an entirely different ball game. Each instrument sounds, feel, and plays differently than their electric counterpart. I felt there was little attempt to try and redo their original album with something different and more acoustic-appropriate, examples being: chugging palm-muted power chords, and fast drum fills. Both of these things sound great on the original tracks, but I feel there are better options when playing acoustically.
Still, it’s hard to ignore how genuine each song feels and how great they are to listen to. The songs themselves are well-written and they make you want to just blast the volume and sing along, whether you know the lyrics or not. Each song feels like a life lesson and I could easily see them bringing out huge emotions to many listeners. Did I mention they have a violin player in the band? Yeah, and he shreds on the violin, too. It’s no wonder the album is so highly praised by its fanbase.
Priced at $9.99, the album is definitely a good jam, and overall it’s really written phenomenally. Although I feel it’s a missed opportunity to be something more, it doesn’t overshadow the great quality of each song, and the album as a whole. I highly recommend it to any pop punk fans looking for something new.
9/10.
-Chris G