‘…No other outfit quite manages to balance wry humour with genuine heartfelt songwriting like this four-piece, and even where the experimentation falls short, the attempt to evolve their sound music be commended…’
“By now you’re either with us or you’re not/So you can sit down shut up and listen/Or switch this shit off,” declares vocalist James Smith on the opening track of Yard Act’s brand new third record, and frankly, there is little more than can be said on the mentality that the Leeds quartet have approached this album with than that. Known for their scathing, witty, and yet sometimes surprsingly emotive observations on class, politics, and modern British culture, Yard Act have found themselves to be one of the post-punk revival scene’s big breakthrough acts; divisive since their inception, some have found them to be a breath of no-nonsense fresh air with a clear understanding of the working man’s plight, whilst others have written them off as middle-class indie rubbish made for critical acclaim and little else.
The band’s previous record, ‘Where’s My Utopia?‘, saw them reflecting on their sudden stardom, inferiority complexes, and even the entire purpose of artists in this late-stage capitalist hellscape. A wonderfully weird and surprisingly dark record, it took what the band had established on their cleanly post-punk debut, and contorted it with elements of funk and dance. Yet with this latest record, Yard Act have pushed the concept of evolving their sound even further than ever before, readdressing some of the foundational ideas of the band and utilising a new-found sense of confidence and self-assuredness to challenge their listeners; those that get it will stay, and if people don’t get it, it wasn’t for them anyway.
As mentioned, ‘You’re Gonna Need A Little Music’ represents a conscious evolution in sound for Yard Act; whilst ‘Where’s My Utopia?’ simply expanded upon the foundational elements they had worked with, this latest release is a bold, sleek reimagining of what Yard Act is. Political observations are cut back whilst introspective musings on fame, relevance, and self-worth are brought to the fore, backed up by surprisingly grandiose musical accompaniments that pull influence from soul, dance, disco, britpop, and even industrial rock. The results are far from perfect, with some of the tracks feeling a little tame in the midst of the experiementation. However, when record hits its stride, Yard Act sound utterly unstoppable.
That aforementioned opening number, ‘Empty Pledges‘ makes for a monstrously electrifying way to blow the doors of this record clean off. Smith delivers a fanastically slick vocal performance, rattling off rapid-fire lyrics that grapple with peoples’ changing perceptions of him now he has found fame. Lead single ‘Redeemer‘ lurches to-and-fro, with the hammering of low key notes atop of a stomping, bass-driven rhythm. Brooding verses explode into rapturous choruses that crackle with discordance, Smith offering absurdist lyricism that captures the tension of modern individualist society; everybody is looking for a scrap with everyone else.
The record’s midsection features back-to-back rip-roaring anthems that glitter with dark ferocity. The title track cruises by with swaggering funk, jittering keys glimmering atop of a driving bass line whilst Smith’s low register smoulders with unrepentant theatricality. ‘Chernophobe Rock’ is a jiving punk toned number that offers ridiculously infectious melodies during the choruses, and the momentum only continues to build with the storming fuzz and breakneck lyrical deliver of ‘Thrill of the Chase’, threatening to implode at a moment’s notice. The chemistry between these four musicians is palpable even through their studio recordings, and at their very best, what they offer is nothing short of rapturous.
It is when the band keep things restrained and focused that the record loses some of its impact. After the brilliantly bombastic opener of ‘Empty Pledges’, the band immediately proceed to lose a fair amount of the momentum built with a trilogy of breezy cuts that keep things squarely focused on ideas from indie rock and britpop. None of the tracks here are bad per se; across ‘New Beginnings‘, ‘Tall Tales‘, and ‘Fiction‘, Yard Act perform everything well, and deliver giant choruses with wry, charming wit. Yet one cannot help but feel that, despite the change in sonic palette, this is the sound of the band playing it unfortunately safe; ‘New Beginnings‘ in particular sounds like an upcoming band that has taken influence from Yard Act, rather than the champions of post-punk themselves.
The record also ends on something of a weaker note. Following the apocalyptic ‘Redeemer’, ‘Talky Talky People’ just feels like an unsatisfying release to the tension that the band had been building up; Smith‘s lyricism thankfully holds up, s he positions himself as a machiavillian hero in the midst schemer in the midst of a world than simply never shuts up, but the overall sound is disappointingly twee for Yard Act. ‘Over the Barrel’ does at least attempt to get a little weird with it, with a vaguely honky-tonk feel to proceedings, but it simply does not conclude the record in a satisfactory manner. Granted, when your band has ‘100% Endurance‘ and ‘A Vineyard For The North‘ as closing tracks for prior albums, you have set your own standards impossibly high.
Despite the flaws, however, ‘You’re Gonna Need A Little Music’ is another strong addition to a strong discography, and demonstrates just why Yard Act are one of the figureheads of post-punk revival. No other outfit quite manages to balance wry humour with genuine heartfelt songwriting like this four-piece, and even where the experimentation falls short, the attempt to evolve their sound music be commended. The band are no longer attempting to convert the naysayers, but give it a listen, and you may find yourself converted anyway.
RATING: 79/100
For Fans Of: Fontaines D.C., IDLES, Kneecap, Wet Leg, DEADLETTER
Physical copies of the record are available to purchase here.
Follow the band on social media below:
VINYL FANTASY REVIEWS 
Leave a comment