Yellowcard - Where We Stand

When a band hits the big time, it’s only a matter of time before the money-making machine starts its engine, and in this day and age, that means re-releases. Most rock bands that sign a major label deal do so on the strength of an independent release, so sending that unknown release out to the masses is a great way for smaller labels gain profits on the band they helped start out. The downside is that these early releases often were made when the band had a different sound, and in this case, even a different lead singer. Be warned Yellowcard fans, this is not the MTV style band you know. To start off with, I’m not afraid to admit that I love the Yellowcard song “Only One,” a song that I couldn’t get out of my head for weeks. On top of that, the violin component intrigued me, especially hearing how that sounded in the early days of the band. Unfortunately, hearing a band in their early days isn’t always a joy, and Where We Stand isn’t any exception. From start to finish, the disc fails to really jump up and grab you. It isn’t obscenely bad or anything, but it sounds like any other punk rock start up band you could hear in any town in the country. A few tracks like “Uphill Both Ways” and “Anywhere But Here” might spark your interest for a minute or two, but unless you are a die hard fan, there isn’t much else here. Yellowcard addicts might want to pick this up, but for the rest of the world there really isn’t any reason to go seeking this release out. [www.yellowcardrock.com]