Deep plucks of guitar strings compliment the profound emotion Yellowcard has dug up for fans. Heart-wrenching in a way that would make you homesick for the South even if you were raised in the West Coast, the “Southern Air” album, released Aug. 14, strikes melodies of truth, pain, and finding the strength to go on. Yet, it is still an album to loudly rock out to.
I give this one to you, an anthem full of truth/I tell you now an epic tale of what you’ve put me through-“Awakening.”
In the opening song, “Awakening,” Yellowcard croon about their broken hearts as traveling artists, traveling father and father away from the region they yearn to be reconnected with. Not only does this album give listeners a deeper look into the hearts of Yellowcard members, but also an alternate perception of what stardom can be like. Traveling the road, putting on show after show, and although while we think the fast life might be fantastic, Yellowcard shows fans that artists can get tired of all the sparkle and shimmer.
Here in this Angel City, lights will shine/and for a while we let ourselves go blind/ but now we know who loves us and loves us not- “Surface of the Sun.”
Their tenth and final song on the album, titled “Southern Air,” truly sums up the message of the whole album by stating their loyalty and love for the South, but how they will pull strength from the depths of their souls to survive the aching pain. With lyrics like, the southern air is in my lungs /it’s in every word I’ve song/it seems the only truth I know, listeners can empathize with the same attachment they have to their hometown.
Within the same song, Yellowcard sings: I’ve thought about the day when I could say/ that I’m better now/well here I am/ ’cause I have left this gravity…/and I will not forget where I am from. This change in lyrical tune exhibits resilience, loyalty, and an undying love for the South. On this A+ album, one of the best tracks to tune in to is “Southern Air.”
